Night Light Rain
by CrimsonFlame07
Summary: The years after Naraku's death have been blessed with peace. However, a new, much deadlier darkness arises to take control of all the Fuedal Lands. Only a disowned but destined cougar demoness named Amaya can stop this force. But when new enemies step forth and things turn for the worst, it may be fuitle efforts to try; even with her secret crush of an Ice Prince. Violence, lemon.
1. Bitter Raindrops

**First off I want to say thank you to my friends for inspiring me to actually write up stories. This one took me over a year to finish and so I'll be posting a chapter every other day or two days, depending if I can get to a computer quickly. Please no flames, I'm really hoping you all love this story and give me good reviews. **

**I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters created by the original owner, Rumiko Takahashi. I only own the characters that were never mentioned in the manga, movies, or anime series, especially my cougar demoness. If there is anything wrong with the story, please do tell. I'm all for the comments, but no harsh flames.**

**Enjoy!**

Clouds of despair shrouded the small village of Gen. Many humans gathered around three graves, each with a newly buried villager in them. Children cried, men who fought side by side now grieve, women mourned pitifully as they prayed for their fallen comrades a safe journey to peace and tranquility.

Four ferocious snake demons, two days prior, had attacked the town so unexpectedly that they had killed the three guards, severely injured many, and minor injured few villagers. This was the sixth time that they have ambushed Gen Village.

As the survivors recuperated from the fallen, the rain droplets fell from the gray, sullen sky, almost as if it too felt guilty of the lost of brave warriors. The village was a wreck, many of the homes broken after just being rebuilt, with even more destroyed. Crops were ruined for the year, herbs for curing the sick, now dead themselves.

Now that rain and the chill came in, children grew very ill, as did the females and a few males. The priestess and monk living there had too, grown ill. It was almost hopeless for any chance of survival of the village…

o / o / o / o

The demon cried out in pain as his body was cut into simple scraps. Blood coated the once pretty green grass along with body parts. The demon and his group had been foolish to take her on. They had expected it to be quick, take her as their sex slave and be on their way.

The Heavens and Hells knew so much more than just that.

The group went to attack her again, but they didn't so much take two steps when slashes ripped through the rainy air. More blood and parts spooled around on the grass. The only noise that filled the air was her quiet breathing and the rain pelting trees and puddles.

The female sighed, clearly annoyed, as she watched the ogres, one by one, hissed into ashes at her feet. However, she knew she wouldn't be leaving this fight unscathed. One glance at her hip proved it. Thankfully, her inflicted wound was neither too deep nor big to be fretting about. Her body would heal it completely in about two days.

She turned back to see the blood soaking down into the already soggy ground. Raindrops fell into the puddles of blood, melting into it. her tessen fan, now almost clean thanks to the rain, clicked softly as she flicked it close with a quick move of her wrists. She placed it so that the tips of iron spikes faced out below her obi.

She gazed up into the gray sky. Night was coming soon, however the rain did not let up. But it wasn't as if she didn't like the rain or night; in fact she loved and admired how it washed everything bad away. Sadly, sometimes it could wash away good things too.

The demoness allowed the rain to wash away the blood on her cheeks and soak up in her plain gray kimono, making it heavier. _'Spring has past. Now summer awakens.'_ she thought calmly.

With a lightly clouded sigh, she continued forth. She would tracked forward until arrival at the next village so that she could rest a bit. She never had been completely tired for a while, and yet she missed the feeling. She missed everything that she had obtained and loved all those years ago. Now, she was an outcast to her family. She even considered herself an outcast from her previous pack, despite deliberately leaving them behind.

_'Five years…to think that I've been away from my friends for so long…it's most puzzling.'_ The demoness thought rather sadly. She quickly shrugged it off. _'Nothing I can do about it until I settle things right again from many years previous to meeting them. Until I stop feeling this weak, this naked…and vulnerable._'

While she pondered her memories, the female demon slowly reached her destination; a medium size village she had heard is Gen Village. _'Spring Village…doesn't really fit considering it is the wakening of summer now'_ she smirked slightly. Her feet, though hard padded over years of walking, were beginning to have sores on them from three days of nonstop walking. A village meant food, water, herbs, and a place to spend the night. _'Only if the villagers will accept._' She curtly reminded herself.

When she entered the village, she was met with a horrifying scene, though she kept her face emotionless. The village was a complete disaster, and it didn't look even close to recovering from the major damage that had been dealt to it.

"Halt!"

Before she could comprehend what was happening, she was surrounded by several guards, each one either equipped with bows and arrows or swords. Despite that, she noticed how sloppy and exhausted their postures were, as well as the way they held their weapons.

The leader of the guards stepped up, aiming his sword at her small bosom. "Who are you and why do you dare enter our village?" He snarled venomously.

"I am simply walking through, though there doesn't seem to be much to walk through." She spoke calmly. "May I ask what happened to your village?"

The guards faltered for a moment, looking at each other to confirm whether or not they should kill her or even give her an answer. She raised a hand. "I do not mean any harm, gentlemen. If you simply attack me, then I will leave. But all I want to know is what happened here."

Many long seconds ticked by, till he spoke up. "We were ambushed." the leader explained. "Three of my men were killed, making it a complete total of thirty men and women killed. Three children are dead because of those fucking demons!" His voice got hard and clogged up. The female suppressed the urge to flinch

"What demons were they?" Amaya asked.

"Snake demons. Four of them total, but I think there has been more than just that." He sighed. Amaya then really saw how exhausted he looked and sounded. _'He must be taking the hardest toll then all the others…'_ She thought.

"Allow me to help." She insisted softly.

"We don't need your help, demon!" One of the soldiers exclaimed.

She turned to face him. "That wasn't really a request, human." She stated bluntly. She turned back to the leader. "Let me defeat these demons for you and your village, it is the least I can do."

He looked deep into her mahogany purple eyes, many emotions flickering through his own, and finally nodded in defeat. "Okay. They usually ambush us during sundown or sunrise. That will be soon by now…" He looked off into the cloudy distance.

Amaya nodded understandingly. "Very well. Take your men into the front. Snake demons like the element of surprise. Send no one to the back; I will stand there alone. Take the women, children, and elderly into the largest hut you have standing up right now. Any man who can fight or use a weapon should step up, or guard the hut holding the others. Tell your healer, priestess, or priest to cast an electrical spell around the village if they can. If not, then just a barrier that will hold long enough for me to kill the snakes. Do you all understand?" She said to them.

"Yes ma'am."

o / o / o / o

When sundown came, everything was in place. The priestess and monk living in the village only knew one barrier spell. But it would work. The largest hut was cramped in with the weaker humans, all fearing for the lives of the soldiers.

Amaya stood motionless at the back of the village. She could sense the snake demons coming from a far away distance at great speed. _'Finally, maybe this will be a challenge'_ she thought. She looked behind her when she heard a baby cry in fear, apparently sensing a disturbance. The scent of combined fear and anticipation flowed through the air, something snake demons mainly love. Submission of the weak. _'They will not receive that from me nor the villagers after_ _tonight._' She growled at the thought.

A soft rumble shook the ground beneath her sandals. It was far too small for an earthquake, but it was growing louder and rougher. She firmly planted her feet into the soil, centering her balance in a better position. The demoness quickly checked her thigh, satisfied when she felt the strap secured on her upper thigh.

The shaking grew almost unsustainable, but she wouldn't show any faltering so early in a battle. _'Wait for it, girl…' _She held her breath and counted off the seconds, each one passing like minutes. The ground finally caved in, creating a huge quick-sand like hole. The demoness jumped back just in time, while throwing three purified shuriken at it.

Perfect timing.

A snake demon lurched up from the hole, but was impaled by the shuriken before it had time to attack. Each one dug deep into the demon's thick scales, causing them to sizzle and burn like lava. Fortunately, they were lodged too deep to pull out without purifying a limb. The snake demon screeched loudly, thrashing wildly as his arms became whip-like and lashed at the demoness.

'_Shit!' _She twirled out of the way of one whip arm, pulling her tessen fans to block the other one. Her previous wound from the fight of the ogres burned in protest, but she swallowed back down, focusing on the matter at hand. Pushing away, the demoness had enough space to hear out the sound of screaming of not the snake demon; but civilians. _'Damnit! They're inside!'_ Her mind shouted.

Not taking a second glance at the first monster, she leaped into the barrier, noting that it was only shielding the outside and surface soil zone; not underground. _'They obviously burrowed their way through the barrier and into the village. Smart but clumsy. Typical.'_

She sighted three snake demons hovering over many guards, who attempted practically uselessly at injuring them. With a soft grunt, the female soared through the air, her muscular form flexing as she attacked the enemies.

It appeared, though, that they had sensed her first. A tail slammed into her side, forcing her to crash into the ground. Pain shot through her ribs, making the demoness falter in breathing. Growling, she pushed up and off the tail, slashing through it deeply with her spiked tessen fan. It was deep enough to spew gallons of blood onto the soggy soil, but she wasn't strong enough yet to slash through them like her mother could.

Dodging several more attacks, she purposely maneuvered backwards, away from innocent souls. When her ankles touched the broad wooding of a hut, she cursed, glaring up at the ugly beasts that stood well over ten feet tall.

"Sloppy morons…" She scoffed stubbornly. With her keen sense of sight, the demoness saw each snake demon stiffening up, tensing their muscles for attack all at once.

_'Please let this work…'_ She prayed to the gods mentally. As an athletic creature, she could easily and physically outmatch these demons. But power wasn't everything in any solution; and this was one. Snake demons were weak against spells and purification powers, but not really by strength. Something she was still training herself on.

Holding both fans at her face, she inhaled deeply, feeling her whole body coil like a spring, and she let go. A snarl left her mouth when she threw her tessen from her body. They spun swiftly, moving in a figure-eight formation, cutting against the hard scales of each demon and into their skin, and breaking it and causing more bloodshed onto the ground. Their howls deafened her for many seconds, her head ringing as she watched them thrash about.

Grabbing both fans in mid-air, the demoness flicked them shut and placed them in her obi. One of the snake demons tried to kill her, stabbing her in the shoulder with its tail. Yelping, she stumbled back, hissing as the venom coursed through her blood stream, trying to paralyze her from the inside out. '_I've had enough of this.'_

Clutching her arm, the female took a deep breath and began transforming. Her clothing disappeared, being replaced with elongated fur. Her body may have been shrinking a little, but she still held a beautiful body, even in her true demon form. Brown sleek fur ran over her body, ears now erect on her head, and powerful feline fore and hind legs flexing upon use. _'Now let's see who will really win this fight.'_ She thought with a smirk, showing off her 4 inch fangs.

Like lightning, the cougar charged, clearly not being affected by the venom at all, and bit into the scaly neck of one of the snake demons. Those fangs of hers shredded through the scales with immense strength, even managing to dig into the actual skin. The monster threw its head about, shaking her off after many tries. She flew off, only to latch onto the next demon like a fly on skin.

Only after she bit them all countless times did she land back on the ground, panting heavily from her attacks. She could see the fury blazing through their eyes, glaring at her like the vermin she was to them. They reared back before whipping at her.

The cougar couldn't help but smile a little at their stupidity.

They got within a few inches of her face but suddenly, bluish white light glowed off of the beautiful wave-like swirls on her back. Blinded, the three snake demons pushed back, feeling pain rip from their insides. Light pierced through their skin and scales, sending random rays out of them. Soon, though, their entire bodies were nothing but white forms.

Then, as quick as it happened, all of the snake demons exploded into ashes, their snowflake-like remains blowing away into nothing by the wind.

The cougar sagged to the ground, peering over at her shoulder wound and seeing that the venom was secreting out of the hole, but clogging around it and turning an ugly shade of green for the first signs of infection. _'Damn. So much for being careful.'_

"My lady!" Two voices grabbed her attention. She perked her head up, her ears twitching curiously as she watched the priest and priestess of the village rush over to her. The female spoke first, gasping at the sight of the cougar's wound. "We saw everything happen! But you are wounded. Let us help you heal."

Slightly baffled, she only nodded, watching the priestess Hina bring out a salve to wipe away the venom from the wound before securing it with a cloth. Jiro knelt down a little, though not by much since she was almost four feet standing in her cougar form. "The snake demon on the opposite side of the barrier was destroyed by the it after it tried getting in several times. Your plan worked out just great. Thank you, my lady."

"Is there anything, anything at all, that we can do for you, my lady?" Hina asked politely.

The demoness glanced around at the almost completely destroyed Gen Village. She looked back at the two. "May I ask to stay here for a while? I want to help build Gen Village back up again. It only seems acceptable enough. My friend once said it was called 'common courtesy' from what I recall." She said, smiling kindly.

Jiro and Hina looked at one another before nodding. "It is okay with us. And the villagers will be most happy by your offering of help. Thank you so much, my lady."

"You're welcome. And please, drop the honorific. I was disowned from royalty long ago. I am no longer a lady, only an outcast. Call me Amaya."

Jiro and Hina looked skeptical, but smiled in the end. "Very well, Amaya."

**Well, here's the first chapter! This is the updated one from the previous first chapter (that one sucked). Yes, Amaya is a cougar demoness and I'm proud in making her. But no demon is perfect in every way, so injuring (that may sound a little wrong) seems reasonable in making her appear just as alive as possible (if you get what I mean). Second chapter will be up soon!**


	2. Settling in a Drizzle

**Sorry for the lateness. Stupid computers for the last two and a half days hate me, so I had to borrow my g-parents' laptop. I'll try to update in my limits more often (I hate promises 'cause I usually break them l( )**

**And to inform you all, Amaya will-more than likely-stay in her cougar form most of the time because she's like that. I don't really care.**

**Comments please!**

"Lady Amaya, come on! Hurry up!" the children called out to the cougar demoness.

"Stay near me, children! I don't want you to get hurt. Besides, we are only going to the cave to gather the crops and harvest the hidden herbs." She countered calmly. She never knew that five kids all at once would be so difficult to maintain order to. 'Not maintain, protect and guard is more like it.' she told herself.

It had been almost eleven months since she had arrived at Gin Village, and she was thoroughly proud to say that they had had a huge comeback in the destruction prior to her arrival. Luckily, many women had been pregnant during that time, and so the births of newborns helped with the medium-sized population. Amaya, being the generous demoness she is, showed the men—and even some of the women—how to hunt big game and fish correctly. She helped the priestess find herbs and assisted in making medicine for the ill. The monk had taught her spells and chants to render off demons; she gave him chants and spells as well for the safety of the village. Many of the women she taught how to create kimonos to sell at different villages for a very reasonable price.

Now, with what she considered a schedule, she scouted the village area both at sunrise and sunset, she worked on kimonos during the remainder of the morning, played with the children during the afternoon, and hunted for either food or herbs during the evening, when it was the quietest and she was alone. Every so often, Amaya would also help women in chores. The crops in the village were perfectly healthy and fertilized for another month before harvesting time. They had survived through winter and now, with spring in full spin, were awaiting their harvest.

Amaya walked alongside with the children in her cougar form, a sack hanging from her back. She thought taking the older kids out for a responsible job would be a good way to educate them. She sniffed the air and smiled when she didn't smell any demons around, or sensed them. The time when she felt the strong powerful demonic aura coming from more westward, she couldn't help but tease him a little bit. It had been the day prior, but she had a feeling she would meet the Lord Sesshomaru once more very soon.

Shaking that thought out, Amaya continued forth, ducking underneath the growing thicker tree roots. They had ventured into the Gin Forest, or Spring Forest, which is known for mysterious discoveries and unusual places. The five children, three boys and two girls—from oldest to youngest were Hiroshi, Emi, Hayato, Hinata, and Hoshi—listened to her orders and stayed closely together as they ventured into the vast forest. This wasn't the first time, but Amaya always wanted to be on alert with the children.

"My Lady, look!" Hoshi, age six, gasped cheerfully. The cougar looked to where the child pointed. A few feet away, the land stopped at a ridge, but underneath it was the cave.

"Very good observation, Hoshi." She purred contently. "Everyone, watch where you step. The rain that fell a few days prior has made this area slippery. Take caution with every breath, okay?"

"Yes, my Lady." They chorused. She couldn't help but smile again. Every time they called her 'My Lady' or 'Lady Amaya' or even 'Mother Amaya' she felt…odd. And not in a bad way, but a way that made her feel like she was their guardian or even potential ruler. She shuddered at that. 'The only ruler of these lands is Lord Sesshomaru, and I know damn well the great dog taiyoukai would never take us bakenekos. A forbidden taboo that would be, indeed.'

As she trailed down the almost stair-like hill next to the cave, Amaya sniffed out for trouble before the children entered the cave. A few months before, she had almost gotten Hoshi killed by a fox demon when she didn't sniff out hard enough for predators. The mistake taught her a good lesson.

"Lady Amaya, is it safe?" Hiroshi, being the eldest at age fourteen, asked calmly. Out of the five children she spent the most time with, he and his younger sister, Hinata—who was nine—were the most mature because they had lost both their parents in the snake demon incident. Amaya took higher care in the two, quickly becoming their mother figure; as well for the other children obviously.

"Hai, it is, Hiro." She spoke softly of his nickname. "Come along children. Now remember what you were told to get. If you have questions about the herbs or crops, don't hesitate to either ask each other or me, okay?"

"Yes, Lady Amaya!" They said. They split up into three groups; Hiroshi with Emi, Hinata with Hoshi, and Hayato stayed with Amaya herself. Hayato was, unfortunately, didn't talk, only speaking a few words. He was different from the other children; he was a hanyou himself. His father-a brave soldier he had been- and his wife, a rare albino cheetah demon, were brutally killed by one of the snake demons long ago. He had been only three and watched it with his own innocent eyes. Thankfully, Jiro had taken him as his pupil in hopes of cheering Hayato up. When she arrived the first day, she was the first person he stayed very close to, despite being already thirteen and a half.

As she looked for herbs ready for harvesting, she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Hayato. "What's wrong, hon?"She mewled, worried that he hurt himself.

But, instead, Hayato pulled out a small but lovely bouquet of the rare crystal cave lilies in his hands. He blushed slightly and smiled. "For…Mama." He said in a scrappy voice.

Amaya was very surprised. Her slightly gaping mouth snapped shut and turned into a motherly smile, filled with love. "Oh, Haya, thank you so much. They're beautiful." She said, walking up to smell them. They smelt sweet and spicy, her two favorite scents. "Can you tie them up together and placed them next to my sack, dear? I promise to place them in water when we get home."

Hayato nodded shyly and walked over to her sack, doing what she advised him to do. When he was done, he went back to harvesting herbs or crops. 'Such innocence, lost to fear and death. I truly feel his pain.' Amaya thought sadly. 'He needs a mother. The mother he had lost, and I'm willing to step up.'

After three hours of harvesting, they had well over enough for the village. Amaya strapped on the two baskets that Hiroshi and Emi had with them to her sides. Hayato gingerly took her sack, which was filled to the brim with herbs, and tied it to his back. Emi and Hiroshi had extra sacks with them, also filled up, as did Hoshi and Hinata.

"Excellent work today, guys! We'll come back in two days to check on the seeds and see if any more need to be harvest. Be careful now; with this heavy weight, we don't want to drop anything. Understand?"

"Yes, Lady Amaya." They responded. All of them used caution as they climbed back up the hillside of the cave. Hoshi shrieked when she tripped and went to fall down. However, Hayato—being the quickest in the small group—caught her just in time. He pulled her up the hill and set her down on her feet when they all reached the top.

"Thank you, Hayato!" Hoshi bowed politely to the hanyou. He just bowed back and nodded sympathetically before walking back over to Amaya.

"Well done, Hayato!" She purred. "That was very brave of you to do."

Hayato blushed lightly and looked to the ground shyly. "T-Thank…Mama." He rasped out softly. He wasn't used to her constant praises completely. But Amaya understood this.

When they reached the village's entrance, Amaya halted in her steps. The fur on her neck bristled till it stood erect. The air smelt of a demon, one she had smelt so many times on her journeys with Kagome.

"Ma…Mama…" Hayato could sense it too, for his spotted ears were flat against his head in fear. "Mama…scared…"

"Shh, it's going to be okay so long as you and the others stay behind me, Hayato." She cooed to him calmly. "Everyone, stay behind me. Don't ask why right now."

"Yes, my Lady." They whispered, obviously noticing something was up with the demoness.

Amaya walked deeper into town seeing that most of the merchants of the village were gone. The air was dead silent; a pin drop could've startled her. She headed over to the hut in which both Jiro and Hina reside in. The demonic powers were much stronger now, to the point that she almost snarled, even if it was so familiar. She did not crowed down in submission to any demon. She didn't even do it to her loving brother but once, when he was depressed.

"Jiro! Hina! I'm home!" She called out. The flap flushed open and she was met with the tall, deadly Lord of the Western Lands; Sesshomaru.

**Cliffhanger! Love these! It pisses off my friends right to the moon. l) We'll see what happens between these two in the next chapter!**


	3. Destruction Settles the Heart

**Here's another chapter! To clarify some confusion about Amaya's abilities, she did learn how to purify demons, almost like that of a priestess/priest. That's a special trait she obtained from her mother's family tree. That's all for now that I'll give.**

**Enjoy!**

"Cougar." His eyes narrowed, but she could see through that cold face; years of practice on her brother and father had taught her. And, to say the least, Sesshomaru was actually surprised to see her.

"Sesshomaru." She cocked her head slightly. She felt a push behind her and realized she had the children still with her. They were somewhat nervous, even a little scared, to see the Great Dog Demon. She smiled at them and pushed Hiroshi's arm. "Hiroshi, take the ladies and Hayato inside please? We need to show Jiro and Hina how well we've done today."

"Are…Are you sure, My Lady?" Hiroshi asked hesitantly.

Sesshomaru was beyond startled when the boy called the cougar demoness —Amaya was her name— 'My Lady'. He went to counter it harshly when he noticed Amaya glaring at him warningly. She looked back at Hiroshi and smiled softly.

"Hiroshi, what have I explained before, love? Please do not call me 'My Lady' or 'Lady Amaya' in front of demon's who come waltzing into the village. I don't want them thinking that I'm the mate of Sesshomaru."

Though Sesshomaru showed nothing on his features, he was raging inside. Even his inner demon was snarling at how disrespectful Amaya was being to him. **'We must punish her! That cat needs to be submitted to us!**' It snarled from within him.

Sesshomaru agreed with that. Amaya never showed compassion nor respect to him during his battles with both Inuyasha and after joining the group and fighting Naraku. He never knew why, though and it baffled yet angered him at the same time.

**'With the children gone, she should be taught a lesson.' **His inner demon growled.

**'You will do no such thing, pup!' **Another voice, this one being more feminine, broke into Sesshomaru's mind. **'You get no respect from us because you are selfish, only believing what is best for you two and you two only. Grow a set of balls and man up, or wolf up as it seems.' **The voice chuckled.

"Cougar, get your inner demon's voice out of my head." he growled. Amaya simply raised an eyebrow.

"No. I will do no sort of thing because I didn't even let her in. We are speaking telepathically, stupid. I thought you would've already known that." She snorted. With a flash, she saw what was next. She dodged his poisoned filled hand by mere inches, transforming into her humanoid form to grasp his wrists tightly with her own hands. Sesshomaru hissed lowly when he felt her sharper nails pierce his skin and cold pain shot through his arms.

"Let me go, cougar wench." He snarled. When the light dissipated, an annoyed humanoid Amaya glared at him, clenching tighter on his wrists.

"You show respect to a woman such as me, I show respect to a boy like you. I call you these things because you have yet to prove to me that you care about someone other than you. Rin does not count at this point anymore, Sesshomaru. I will not speak of you as if you are a Lord, because in my eyes you are just the Lord my father was and still is sadly." She whispered dangerously low, so low that Sesshomaru slightly regretted angering her. Then again, it also sparked something between both of them; though they didn't know what.

Meanwhile, inside of them, their demons bickered, and Amaya's was winning. **'Watch that tongue of yours, pup! You may think you're stronger than I am physically, but I am smarter than you! I have gone through more than you will ever know of.'** she snarled.

**'You need to be taught lessons, kit! Both of you.'**

**'Oh yeah? Well that won't happen because we will not let it. I can smell your interest in both of us, pup. We mated once before because our mates treated us equally. Not many males out there are like that anymore.'**

**'Your point?' **The inner demon of Sesshomaru was now circling her. **'We take care of people. Gin Village lives because of u—'**

**'Don't you dare say that, you scum sucking pig!' **Sesshomaru and his inner demon winced together. Amaya was really angry now. Both her and her demon.** "We saved this village, not you! You ever try taking our work away from us just like that, you'll be severely sorry, pup."** Amaya snarled lowly. Her eyes were now a piercing yellow, almost like Sesshomaru's once amber eyes that were now a scarlet red.

The air grew very silent and so tense that you could cut it with a knife. Sesshomaru didn't like it, but he somehow ended up in a tie with this woman, maybe even lost to her. Taking a deep breath, Amaya instantly calmed down, her eyes changing to a color somewhere in between purple and yellow. "Why are you here, Sesshomaru? Is it because of me? Or is it because Gin Village has been unable to give you a full update on their status?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"It's because of you, cat. You weren't given permission to stay here on my word. What makes _you_ think you can stay here?" He countered back.

Surprisingly enough, Amaya smirked, her eyes twinkling. "Because a village in which that is having difficulties in surviving has every right to bring me in. I bid you no harm whatsoever, despite a few seconds ago. I helped them purify all those snake demons, healed their injured people, and accepted in asking to stay and help replenish the village. I was not going to stay for long, though, because I knew this," she gestured to him and the hut "would eventually happen. If you want me to leave, all you need to do is say the word, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru was debating. This woman sparked interest, though he couldn't figure out why. He thought of all the times Rin had asked for a mother-figure—one that was better than the servants—to look over her. He made his decision. "No. You will come and live in my castle."

"Is that an order or a request?"

Sesshomaru was about to say order, but halted. Minutes before in the fight taught him that requesting something was better than ordering around a cougar demoness like her, even if she was relatively weaker than most demons. "Request."

"Is it for Rin's sake?"

"Yes."

Amaya paused, thinking over the situation. She dearly enjoyed being near Rin. However, it was Sesshomaru that she was dealing with. Plus, she wasn't about to leave her almost adopted-like son when he had grown so close already. She sighed. "Alright, on one condition though."

Sesshomaru forced himself to bite back a snarl. Instead, he sighed. "Speak."

"My son comes with."

That was shocking. Sesshomaru then noticed something was off about her. She said 'son' though he smelt no bloodline connected to any of the children before. She must've seen his confusion in his eyes because she chuckled. "My adopted son, Sesshomaru. He doesn't talk very much, and is also a hanyou."

Now he was annoyed. "Why would I bring in a half-demon into my castle?"

She let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Why? Here's something, boy; why are you countering with that crap when you yourself have a good handful of hanyou already working for you as servants? Most being female at that."

**'Damn, she picks on quickly.' **Sesshomaru's inner demon sighed. Sadly, she was correct. Apparently, Amaya already knew that most demon lords or ladies had hanyous as servants. Finally, Sesshomaru gave in. "Let me see this 'son' of yours" he stated coldly.

She had the temptation to transform back into her cougar form and slash his handsome face when he said that. But she resisted it and whistled out of the hut. The soft noise of bare feet ringed through Sesshomaru's ears. Amaya took a hand and pulled softly into the hut. Sesshomaru was met with a boy, no older than Rin's age, had stark white hair, almost like his own, and piercing green eyes. He wore a nice pair of black hakama and a kimono jacket was a calm gray color.

"Sesshomaru, met Hayato, my adopted son. Hayato, this is the Great Dog Demon and Lord of the Western Lands, Lord Sesshomaru." Amaya introduced the two of them.

Hayato, quiet as always, smiled kindly and bowed deeply to Sesshomaru. "He…Hello…Lord…Sessho…Sesshomaru." He rasped out softly.

Sesshomaru looked over to Amaya and saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes. But she quickly covered it up and smiled to the boy. "Very good, love. Now, Sesshomaru has asked me to come along with him to his castle—"

"Mama! No…no go! Please…no go!" He gasped out loud. He looked up to Amaya. "Mama…may I…follow?"

Amaya looked up to Sesshomaru. "It's all up to Lord Sesshomaru." She let the honorific title slip purposely.

Hayato felt different around the Lord. He looked at Sesshomaru and patiently waited for an answer. The cheetah half-demon had learned patience from his adopted mother by following her to streams and watching her meditate or await a quick grab to eat.

"…Very well" Sesshomaru finally answered. Almost instantly, the small boy's white spotted ears perked up happily and his eyes shined brightly. He bowed deeply again.

"Thank…you…Lord…Sesshomaru…Thank you!" He smiled before hugging Amaya's neck. "Moma, I can travel! Fun?"

Amaya was shocked when she heard Hayato speak his full sentence without stuttering in his raspy tone. But she shook her head and smiled in return. "Hai, darling. Go and get your sack ready and say goodbye to the other children."

"Hai, Ma! Thank you Lord…Sesshomaru! Thank you…" Hayato bowed one more time to the Western Lord and left the hut.

The hut grew silent for a second before a sigh broke it. Amaya looked to see Jiro and Hina had finally arrived from the backside of the hut. "He's growing isn't he, Amaya?"

"Yes, in the most ways I can't even comprehend. He is growing into a man far quicker than expected. But…" She paused glancing at Sesshomaru, then the spiritual siblings. "I guess I should've expected that. Are you okay with this, Jiro?"

"Hai. I only wish for my adopted son's happiness and safety. Something that I know both you_ and_Lord Sesshomaru can give him." Jiro smiled. But Amaya could see the sadness flicker in and out of his eyes.

She looked at Sesshomaru and bowed her head slightly. Sesshomaru was expecting another retort from the female, but she instead bowed slightly. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. You…you don't know what this means to me." She turned to exit the hut too, but stopped at the flap, looking back at him with her beautiful eyes. "Maybe…maybe I was wrong…" She admitted. She left, leaving the hut, quiet again.

"She is one odd demoness, isn't she, Lord Sesshomaru?" Hina chuckled. "One second she is annoyed easily, another she is a compassion guardian, and the next, she respect you as if nothing bad had ever happened"

"Hn" Sesshomaru sighed. "Why?"

Hina patted the ground next to her and Jiro. Being respectful to a priestess like this one, Sesshomaru sat down on the ground. "Well, I think it's because of the way she was treated with her brother. And how she learned to protect the miko, Kagome. She's learned over her years, as would anyone else. After everything she's gone through, from what she had told us." Hina explained.

"What kind of things?" Sesshomaru asked.

Hina looked at Jiro, who nodded. She sighed. "Let's just say that she had some complications as a child and while she grew older."

Sesshomaru pondered with this new information. It was true that Amaya dearly loved protecting the ones who trust her. _'But that's the thing…she believes that _**I**_ don't trust her'_ He thought to himself.

"Very well. I will promise here that she will…grow to be my friend. Though it may take time." He said emotionlessly. But Jiro and Hina knew; they had experienced this quite enough with Amaya herself.

With that, Sesshomaru walked out of the hut. He looked around to see that the once hiding humans and demons of the village now were huddled around Amaya, some wishing her and Hayato a safe trip, while others pleaded them to stay.

But Amaya, being a calm creature, simply smiled and shook her head. "It is been a fabulous time with all of you. And I thank each one you for allowing me to stay and help replenish the village. You will never be forgotten for the life I have" She announced softly. She turned to the crying children.

The demoness, now in her cougar form walked up to Hiroshi, whose eyes were glazed over, but no tears fell. "Hiroshi, promise me right now, right here to me, that you will protect the children and take my place as their guardian."

He choked on his ego and words for a second but gave her a proud grin. "Hai, Amaya! And promise me you will take care of Hayato for us. He's…he's like our brother now… and you our mother…"

She pressed her tailtip to his mouth, stopping him. "I will, Hiro. I will with all my heart and soul. He's my only hope in this world now."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. _'She's that pushed away from others?'_ He thought. Amaya seemed to sense him again, causing her to bow her head and turned to face his direction. Hayato had a small pack attached to his back, as did Amaya.

"Bye everyone!" Hayato called out.

"Bye, you two!"

Amaya looked up at Sesshomaru, whose stone cold features stared back. She snorted before nodding over to Hayato, who seemed excited to go. Sesshomaru glared at her one more time before taking flight.

The cougar demoness watched him disappear into the air like most high lords could do. She scoffed. _'There are times where I sure do wish for my normal powers to be given back to me.'_ she thought gruffly.

Sighing, Amaya looked over at Hayato and smiled. "Come. It's time to head to your new home."

"Hai, Ma!" He grinned. Somehow, she knew that Sesshomaru had impacted Hayato to be something he had always been afraid to become when he had been with her. _'He must think…'_

Shaking that thought away, Amaya quickly sprinted outside of the village, Hayato close at her heels.

**Finally, we get to the beginning of some good things with the two demons. Ironically, they argue like any other couple ;). Hayato is my favorite character I've made so far! He's so cute! Next chapter will be up soon! See ya!**


	4. Destruction Breaks the Heart

**School just ended yesterday and I had completely forgotten about fanfiction! Terrribly sorry. This chapter may be short, but it will be made up in the next one afterwards. Hope ya'll like it!**

Amaya enjoyed her hiking through the lands with Hayato. She was amused when he kept asking about who Sesshomaru really was; obviously he wanted to get to know the Lord Demon as much as possible. She had told him the stories about when she first met him with her friends Kagome, Shippou, Inuyasha, and Miroku at the time, when she encountered him a few times during battles, and how he assisted in killing Naraku with her pack.

"Ma, why Sesshomaru…upset all time? He mad at me?" Hayato asked as they walked the depths of the forest. They had rested the day previous, getting a fair amount of miles between them and the village. Now, they would be arriving in Sesshomaru's real territory any minute.

"Heavens, no, my son." She quickly said. "Sesshomaru may not like hanyous all that much, but I know he does feel sympathy and compassion to them; he just doesn't show it. I may have been speaking rashly to him, but I did it to prove to him that I will not be taken as a weakling to him. But, I know this; inside of all those walls, he is a person just like me: a person who wants to be…accepted for who we are. You've seen my mask when I'm with the higher lords or guess at the village, correct?"

"Hai, Ma. And when Ma gets away from lords, she's fun again!" He smiled.

She chuckled. "Correct. I believe Sesshomaru is the same, but it takes far more to get those stupid walls of his down. Takes time."

"…Ma? Do you think I can do it? To make him fun like you?"

Amaya stopped in her tracks and looked at her adopted son curiously. "Why do you say that, dear Hayato?"

"Because…Sesshomaru's like…a father to Hayato. Like you are Mama to me, Ma" He struggled to say.

Amaya stared wide-eyed at Hayato. His words, though somewhat hesitant, were holding truth in them. She furrowed her brow, still aghast. "Hayato…honey—"

She was suddenly cut off when she narrowly got stabbed in the side by a sharp tail. Amaya dodged it, pushing Hayato along with her. They recoiled back again as another tail slammed into the ground soil. "Hayato! Get out of here!"

"But—" Hayato screamed when he saw the tail attack him again. Amaya snarled, quickly transforming into her humanoid form and slashed the object. The tail flailed on the ground for several seconds, blood gushing out, before finally stilling.

"Don't you dare argue with me right now, mister! Get to Sesshomaru's castle and warn him, quickly! I'll distract them." She ordered.

Hayato didn't argue with his adopted mother and did as she order. He ran off in his white cheetah form, running as fast as his body could go. He squinted through the branches and twigs that broke off when he ran.

Amaya growled as she saw the insect demon disgusting features. Acid saliva fell from his mouth. He spat an acid ball at her, but she slapped it away with her tessen fans. With a heave of strength, she slashed through its middle section, acid spraying all over her face, making it sting, and on her clothing, causing it to melt away.

She smirked at her work, but her blood went cold when she heard a loud scream. "Hayato!" She gasped. Not having the time to transform again, she ran in the direction Hayato's scent went. A stronger, more disgusting scent was close to his trail.

_'Damn, those demons tricked me into letting him run off on his own…'_ She cursed herself for her stupidity. Her anger drove her forward faster, the trees all around her whizzing by so quickly that it seemed like she was sprinting through a time zone.

She skidded to a halt when she was at the edge of a long drop down into sharp stones and a raging waterfall. "Hayato! Hayato!" She called out, her heart pounding harder as she saw him on the other side.

"MA!"

Amaya whirled to be sharply pierced a scorpion tail. She howled out in sheer pain, biting her lip to keep her voice down and to swallow down the blood that erupted in her mouth as she was sent slamming down into the grass. Amaya looked up groggily and gasped. Hayato was trapped. He was being held up in the air, his body coiled up by another scorpion demon. She tried to move, but the tail stabbed her deeper into the grass. With a harsh snarl, she flicked her wrist and threw a shuriken at the scorpion's eyes. When it recoiled back and hissed loudly in pain, she killed it with her tessen fan after several swift whips of her claws.

She turned again only to feel her heart stop as she watched Hayato suffer. He growled, looked at her, as if he was saying 'I'm sorry'. "Hayato, no!" She screamed, knowing what was going to happen.

But it was too late for any of them.

Hayato tightly closed his eyes and contracted his powers on himself and the scorpion. The air got dense, and suddenly exploded under the pressure. The scorpion exploded into multiple parts, blood spurting all around. However, Hayato never knew that he had also destroyed the cliff side; plus, he was now semi-conscious.

"Hayato!" She called out. Jumping over to the other side, she tried to reach out and scoop him up…

But she couldn't even feel her own body now.

Her son's form fell farther away from her. Amaya felt her body shake violently, tears pouring out of her eyes as the body of Hayato was swallowed up by the foam water from far down below. 'No…No…not my son…not after what I've been through… not again…no…no…no…' Millions thoughts flew through her brain, and she felt herself become broken again…like she had been so many years ago.

"HAYATO!" She wailed, not caring that her own voice carried over the lands like a warning call. Her voice had even trailed all the way to the mid Southern Lands and the Eastern Lands as well… "HAYATO, NO!"

The whole world went cold and numb after that.

o / o / o / o / o

Sesshomaru was growing very impatient with the two missing villagers that had promise that it would only be a day and a half before they would reach his castle. He had agreed to those terms and had arrived at his home on the first day. When almost the first day past, he felt uneasy, very agitated for their arrivals. He was relieved to have Rin back; she had arrived home when he had on the first day. When he emotionlessly explained to her that Amaya was coming to stay for a while, she was ecstatic.

As he drowned himself in his nearly complete paper and scroll pile, a wail, literally cracked the glass doors, hitting his ears, causing him to jump up and feel his blood turn cold at the piercing cry.

"HAYATO! HAYATO, NO!"

He could hear the cry spread like wildfire over the entire Western Lands, and he even heard it spread over till it stopped both in the middle of the Southern Lands and the Eastern Lands_. 'Amaya…'_ her name echoed in his brain. With quick steps, he rushed out of his office.

Sesshomaru walked quickly outside, watching most of his servants gather around as one of his bodyguards came racing out of the forest with something in his arms, which was covered in dirt and mud. The demon, as most of them, could hear a shaking, broken sob break from the form as the bodyguard walked closer. "My Lord! She needs medical help! She is injure!" the bodyguard, a fox demon named Yuski, pleaded.

The Dog Demon walked closer and almost gasped. Reaching out, he whispered, "Amaya…?"

The body shook harder, her voice was filled—for the first time since he had first met the cougar demoness—with emptiness. "Hay…a..to… Hayato… co..c-come… b-back…" She choked out. "Hay…Hayato…Hayato…my s…son"

Sesshomaru's inner demon was trying to get through the mental barriers of her inner demon. When he did find her, he was met with a still body, broken, battered, and almost empty of any life.

"Get her to a medicine room, guard. Servants, all gather your herbs and be ready to heal her up. Leave." He addressed coldly. They quickly bowed to him and got straight to work. He watched his guard rush inside the palace, and a shudder went through him.

'By Kami, Amaya, what has killed you like this? What happened?'

**It was quick, sorry, but this is where you start to understand how much Amaya is devoted to her "son". And what the consiquences are when he suddenly leaves her like so above. Next chapter will be up soon!**


	5. Acid Storm Rumbles to Life

**Okay folks! I'm so sorry that I've been gone for a little while. Partial writer's block, multiple typing of many stories at once, family business, and so on. Things that had to be attend towards and being away from fanfiction. **

**For some answering of a dear friend of mine, Tonight's the Night (go to her stories, they're amazing!), this is what I say; **

**-I adore your reviewing, Tonight, but I have some explaining to do. First off, the bold writing symbolizes ONLY the inner demon conversations. I've read many great stories on fanfic, and they bold either thoughts or inner demons. If I just place in italics with for the inner demons, then it feels like it's the main characters thinking, not their demons talking. I already have italics down for thoughts, therefore bolding or underlining were my only other options left. Underlining is just…discouraging to me and somewhat annoying. So bold is it. **

**-The children that were with Hayato and Amaya were mentioned only because I thought it was reasonable enough. I've read many books where they mention a character once and usually never mention them again (unless in an allegiances). The story still goes on. The children were there to show an example of Amaya's mothering instincts, which will be shown more times in the story. Sorry if you were a little confused, Tonight, and I hope this explains it enough for you. **

**-You mentioned how hard it is to tell when Amaya is in her cougar form or humanoid form, and I understand that. But I've always thought saying repetitive things—such as transforming back and forth—would get on someone's nerves. For now, the only thing I can say is this; think of Amaya in her cougar form most of the time. She's more accustomed to it than her humanoid form, therefore resulting in more usage in it. But she's not sloppy or unbalanced in the other form; just is in it less. Sorry.**

**-I feel stupid now that I realize how "out of character" Sesshomaru is in the story, Tonight, and I do apologize for that. Guess I was typing too quickly to realize that; plus I might of wanted to make him a little…different, maybe nicer (didn't really think that over though). Sorry. I'll try to place him back into character in these next chapters. If there is still some things 'bout him that are…off, please tell me. I'll do my best to fix it up.**

**All in all, I appreciate the commenting of Amaya and Hayato's charactering, Tonight! I was a little worried she was a Mary-Sue. And I'm all for other comments, please! **

**Now, here's Chapter 5!**

Several hours later, the sun had set over the horizon, giving the land a beautiful mixture of colorful hues. However, currently Sesshomaru, who was reading another scroll, felt a prickling feeling in the back of his head that he's been trying to ignore all day as he got work done. The memory of hearing Amaya's sudden wails made him want to shiver in fear. Never had he heard a cry so sorrowful or broken, even if it was a few miles away from his castle.

A knock on his door broke him from his thoughts. He barked out, "Enter."

His main servant, an old eagle demoness who had been watching over him since he was a baby, walked in after she bowed. "Chie."

Chie, being far older and wiser than Sesshomaru, could see easily that he was concern for the cougar, something she hadn't seen even with Rin. "Lady Amaya is gravely ill, though not physically."

"What do you mean? I ordered you to heal her." He said, his voice cold and hard as ice.

She sighed, folding her slightly wrinkled hands. "Lady Amaya has been healed as best as possible for her wounds. It's more serious about her mental sanity. Both her and her inner demon are…severely broken. It is something that no herbs or other kind of medicine can cure. She is mourning the loss of a person—possibly her mysterious child—by the name of—"

"—Hayato."

Chie paused, raising a graying black eyebrow at the demon. "Correct, my Lord. She's so broken that she suddenly lashed out at us, telling us to leave her alone. I forced the other maids and servants away but stayed there myself, making sure to keep a safe distance away but still be in reach; just in case her wounds had ripped open again. All that time, her demonic aura was flowing off in waves of sadden that even brought me to the point of blurry eyes." She paused again, letting Sesshomaru take in the information. He nodded for her to continue.

"I tried talking to her for several minutes, but she didn't seem to hear me. She just kept choking on her words, whispering them so quietly to herself over and over again. Finally, when I felt the need to leave her alone, I checked on her wounds before I would leave. Her face was so…empty, emptier than when I remember you mourning over your mother's death, Lord Sesshomaru. No tears fell, but they were at bay in her dead, purple and yellow eyes. She obviously was in semi-demonic form." Chie stopped again, glancing outside, her own eyes foggy with distance thoughts. "Before I stood to leave, she grabbed my kimono, looked into my eyes and asked in a hoarse tone, 'Where's my son? Do you have my baby?' Lord Sesshomaru, I will admit right now, I've never felt sorrow for any demon except for you; and now I have for her too. I sadly told her I didn't have her son or know where he was." Chie finished, her claws digging into her palms.

The room grew quiet, so quiet that Sesshomaru could hear her and his breathing, along with the distant footsteps of passing maids and servants. Finally, he broke it with turning around to sit back down. "Make sure she gets food, Chie. I will check up soon. Leave." He stated.

Chie was disappointed in Sesshomaru for not showing very much concern now for the poor mother. "Forgive me Sesshomaru, but last time I recalled, you were a 'willing to protect and help' kind of guy, even if it was only when you were in the mood to do so." Getting no answer, she sighed and went to the door. As she opened it and started walking out, she stopped in her tracks. "You know," She said "I sure wish—we all wish—I could get back the Sesshomaru that we all knew before your mother corrupted your mind. And I think Amaya would really appreciate your concern. She did mention your name a few times." With that, Chie left, leaving the young Demon Lord to suck up the words.

Meanwhile, Rin was skipping down the hallways, trying to avoid Jaken's obnoxious babbling. She giggled when she heard him on the other side of the hall, at the end from where she was located. 'I may love Master Jaken and Sesshomaru-sama, but I wish I had a play buddy…' She thought to herself.

A sudden noise, quiet though it was, made Rin stop in her tracks. She looked around, tilting her head up a little more to hear better. Rin gasped when she heard it again; it sounded like…a whimper.

It was coming from a door two doors down. She walked over and knocked softly. For a good twenty seconds, there was nothing, but a soft voice called out, "…Hayato…?"

Rin had heard the servants and maids talk about the child that a demon they had saved had been calling out for. "No…it's Rin! Rin wants to know who it is…" When she got no response, Rin shyly pulled down the doorknob. The door opened up, unlocked. She walked into the room.

The large room was dark, only a small flickering of the lit fire lamp on the desk gave off any light, as did the hallway lighting. Rin could barely see even with the lighting, and narrowly missed the slightly darker figure in the kimono. She gasped loudly when her sight adjusted to the darkness and she finally could see her. "Ma'am…Miss? Hello?" She whispered.

Amaya was so closed off she didn't even hear Rin's voice, not even when she was three feet from her form. Only did the touch of a hand on her shoulder break her slightly from her self-consciousness.

Rin touched the creature on the shoulder, feeling her visibly stiff up. She backed up a little when she saw that it was the face of a cougar underneath that kimono. The same cougar that had saved her life countless of times when Sesshomaru couldn't. "Amaya! Oh, it's so good to see you here! Rin was worried for a second." Rin smiled brightly.

Amaya stared at the young ward of Sesshomaru. Her heart, though shattered it was, warmed up at hearing the young child's voice. She gave an empty smile. "R…Rin… so good to…see…you." She hoarsely spoke. Her voice was lost in pity, and Rin didn't let this get past.

"What's wrong, Amaya? Are you sad?" Rin asked, kneeling down till her face was equal to Amaya's.

Amaya felt her heart dull and break even more. She lowered her head. "Haya…Hayato…where is my son…is he here…?" She muttered incoherently.

Rin was slightly confused. "Uh…Rin don't know of anyone named of Hayato, Amaya. Rin wanted to play with someone. Would you?"

Amaya mind filled again with memories of her and Hayato with the other village children. Him being the shyest, it took some persuasion to get him to come and play with the others. But, once he did, he truly enjoyed every moment of it. Amaya's eyes welded up with more tears, but she forced her body to hold them back and just shake violently. "Rin, I-"

"Rin!" Chie's voice was harsh and surprised when she saw the little ward in the room. "Rin, you shouldn't be bothering Lady Amaya. She's in distress and mourning for the lost of this 'Hayato' person."

Something in Amaya snapped back to life, but not in a good way. She snarled, springing onto her feet. The hair on her back rose up till it looked like sharp needles. "Don't you dare speak of my son like that, you old hag! He is my son and you shall speak of him with respect or face my rage!" She snarled out, her eyes now a hard amber yellow color compared to her normal purple color.

Chie didn't mean to offend the cougar, as now her demonic aura exploded with superior power, almost as deadly as Sesshomaru, oddly enough. "Child, calm yourself. I did not mean to offend you nor the name of your son. I…I sincerely apologize. Rin," She took the little girl's hand and tugged her lightly to her feet. "Let us leave her. I do not wish to anger her anymore"

Rin didn't put up a fight. She was too surprised and somewhat frightened by the sudden change in Amaya. However, it quickly left as it had came, leaving the cougar sulking against the wall once more. "Maybe another time, Lady Amaya?" She couldn't help but asking.

She got no response for a long time. But a whisper finally gave an answer. "Hai… I'm sorry…Rin…"

o / o / o / o / o

Two unbelievably slow days had past and things had felt even slower for Sesshomaru when it came to the many meetings he had to attend. He was annoyed with all the things wrong in the Lands that the humans needed help with; to the point where they asked for his request in helping with how to operate a damn kimono store!

With a heavy sigh through his nostrils, he walked down the hallways alone. Though he wasn't intending it, his feet took him to the room in which Amaya was rumored to be residing in. When he was almost at the door, he watched one of his servants come out, her scent hinting annoyance and sadness. Her arms were full of plates of food.

"Servant." He barked coldly. "Why do you take this food? I do not allow you to eat a guest's food."

The servant jumped at the sound of his voice. She bowed deeply. "M-My Lord! F-Forgive me I-"

"—Is she still refusing to eat, Yoshi?" Chie walked up to Sesshomaru's side, a frown still etched into her face.

"Hai, High Lady." The servant sighed. "She politely refuses even the kindest words of food. She just keeps asking about Hayato, High Lady. When I tried showing her the food, she gave it not even a glance. She lightly pushed away the food and kept asking me where Hayato is." Yoshi sighed. She was a sweet woman that never liked seeing anyone upset, especially guests and her demon Lord. "I'm really worried for her. She keeps herself in the corner of the room and shakes violently."

"Enough." Sesshomaru ordered coldly. Yoshi and Chie looked up at their Lord, both surprised. "Chie, come. Yoshi, prepare another meal and bring it back."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama" Yoshi bowed deeply and walked away.

Before Sesshomaru walked into the room, Chie stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "My Lord, do you believe you can heal a wound that is surly not to recover from at all? She is a mother who just lost her child…"

Sesshomaru's hand was hovering over the doorknob, debating whether or not to go in. He sighed. "I do no know. But this must come to an end. She is killing herself."

'Our guest shall not do such thing. Besides, I must speak with her inner demon' Sesshomaru's demon grumbled.

Sesshomaru turned the knob and pushed into the room with Chie behind him. He was met with what all the other servants had seen. The room was one of his best; in fact, only a few doors down was his own, but he always went in a different direction to get to his office. The lit lamp flickered at the breeze coming from the entrance. He looked around in the dimness, his eyes quickly adjusting to the dark. Chie poked on his shoulder and pointed over to a bundled kimono on the floor. "That is her?"

"Hai, Lord Sesshomaru. She hasn't moved but an inch or so, just probably adjusting her sleeping legs. Let me speak to her first, then I'll let you go." Chie explained softly. Sesshomaru glanced at the kimono, but it hadn't moved a speck when he or Chie spoke to each other. _'She is clearly in a state where her and her inner demon are deaf and blind to this world now. She is in severe mourning, just like Chie said.'_ Sesshomaru thought.

Chie walked over to Amaya and knelt down beside her. "Amaya? Amaya it's me, Chie. Can you talk to me, please?"

Amaya's form didn't move for several seconds, almost into a full minute. Suddenly, she shifted her shoulders, causing the gray kimono to shift down a little bit. "…Who…who speaks…?" She hoarsely asked. Sesshomaru's eyes would've widened had he not control himself. Never had he heard such an empty voice. It was like a dark void that didn't have any sort of life in it; merely controlling the organs and that was it.

Chie smiled sympathetically. "It's me, Chie, the head maid servant of Lord Sesshomaru. Do you remember me?"

Amaya shifted her head and looked up at Chie, but was at an angle in which Sesshomaru couldn't see her eyes just yet. "…Chie…ye…s…yes…you keep tell…telling me…do you…do you know where…my son is? Where…where is he…?"

Chie smile turned sad. She reached out to touch Amaya's cheek. "Love…we can't find your son. He's been gone for two days now…I've and so have the other servants that we can't find your son."

Amaya was still as a board when Chie touched her cheek. Then, after a good five seconds, she pulled back. Then her body started shaking violently, harder than all the other times. "Hayato…Hayato…please come back…"

"Cougar."

She stopped her shaking when she heard that deep voice. She looked farther behind her, till her eyes met Sesshomaru's. Her dull yellow and purple eyes were glazed over in a deep, misty like form. "Sess…Sesshomaru…" She croaked out. Her body now shook in fear, her ears going flat between her head. Her shaking caused the kimono to finally fall completely from her form.

Chie and Sesshomaru were horrified at her state of being. Her body was so thin, they could see every rib in her chest, and every shaky breath she took in and let out ragged. Her hindquarters were almost just mere bone and fur, no muscle even showing off her once beautiful form. Chie covered her mouth. "…Oh…Oh my G-God…Amaya… you look…oh honey you need to eat something! This isn't good for you!"

Amaya's eyes glazed over with nothing again, looking down at her bony paws. "Why…Why let me walk…away…I need…Hayato…I need to know…alive or…dead…"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, curious yet confused at how she was punishing herself. _'Then again, would I do the same for Rin?'_ He thought to himself. "Cougar." He spoke again. She watched him as he slowly sat down next to her. He looked at her with his amber golden eyes. "Stop. It annoys this Sesshomaru." He said in his monotone voice.

Amaya didn't look like she heard him, but she really did. Her conscious mind was with her inner demon, who looked almost like her outer appearance right now. _'He…he cares…?'_

'Surely there must be a mistake!' her inner demon spoke with a hard cough. Both were almost to the point of dying, they were sick and hungry. The reason they were still alive but so frail because Amaya used her powers to keep them alive; to keep them alive for punishment. 'He just wants us for his pleasure…'

'No, we do not.' the deep, vibrating voice of both Sesshomaru and his inner demon entered her mind. They looked up to see them standing, looking at their bare and weakened forms.

Outside in the real world, Sesshomaru's eyes had, too glazed over once entering upon her mind. Chie could sense this and just watched, waiting for something good to come.

Back inside; Sesshomaru's inner demon stepped forward, causing both females to shrink back. 'Reconsider us.'

'Why? You hate us both because we are opposites and stand against submitting to hardheads.' Amaya's inner demon whispered pitifully.

"Sesshomaru…I can't go back…I just can't." Amaya choked. Her eyes were on the verge of bursting from her tears. "Not until I see my son again. After I lost my kits…" She stopped there, blushing slightly.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. He reached out and lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. "Who 'kits'? You never walked around with children during the travels with your pack, nor did you ever smell of having any." When she didn't answer, he urged her with a soft rub against her cheek. "Tell me…"

She sighed and shook her head. "Outside of here, Sesshomaru…It feels uncomfortable in here with your inner demon." She coughed out.

With a nod, he travelled back to the physical world. He blinked twice, his eyes losing their haze. However, Amaya's didn't. "Amaya." He whispered. She bowed her head and scooted closer to him.

Chie watched her movements, noticing that she was shaking more from being alone, not cause of the cold room. She took a ragged breath in and started speaking softly;

**I'm stopping it there for now –shields herself- don't kill me! Not yet! The next chapter will explain how Amaya came to be so protective and her past life, before she even met Sesshomaru. I felt that it was time for everyone to know a little more about her, and not just mentioning it here and there in thoughts.**


	6. Rain Pours from a Broken Soul

**I hate being late for anything! Things are so busy! Job applying, friends, family, and even better; I'll be going down VA next week! Don't know if I will be able to update that week, but I'll try. **

**Before anyone starts reviewing that this is all a little too much, I'm sorry, but I ain't changing it. It seemed like an okay time to reveal who Amaya is; I might've been a little early, a little late, I don't care. This took me a long time to do so please no harsh objectives. **

**And thank you so much for all of the favorting fanfic people! Seeing that on my e-mail has made me continue to update and post more of this story.**

**Here's Chapter 6!**

Previously:

_Chie watched her movements, noticing that she was shaking more from being alone, not cause of the cold room. She took a ragged breath in and started speaking softly;_

* * *

"Before…Before I even walked the role of being Kagome's guardian, I had lived alone, right after I had lost connection with my eldest brother, Haruko. One of his dear and brave soldiers, Naoki, had fallen for me, as I did for him too. He was majestic and brave as any soldier should be; he was also a crow demon. Yes, that should be a forbidden taboo of a bird and cat to love, but it happened. He had guarded Haruko and I when Haruko was caring me. It started off just a friendship…but it grew into something more. I fell for him for his work efforts and for his guarding abilities; and for him. Later on, we had mated and I was conceiving his fledglings and my kits.

"One day…my mate had to go to war, it was against a huge demonic aura that had threatened to destroy and kill my eldest brother. Being worried for my brother most importantly, I wished my mate a good fight and prayed that he would come home in time to see his children be birthed…" She stopped, her eyes tightly closing, her ears flattening closer to the top of her head. Amaya forced herself to continue talking.

"But…But…he didn't make it. I had been in my labor when I remember his dear brother, Tadao, flying by to tell me that he had died bravely in war. My heart had been broken, but he had done what he was born to do, and he died not only protecting my brother, but also me and my children. However, when I was in birth, I had given birth to two dead children. I had tried desperately to bring them back by doing anything, but they were born dead. My world had… shattered right in front of me. First, I lose the love of my life to war…and I had lost my first litter next…" She sulked forward, her body shaking violently again. "Now…Hayato…is gone…too…too…I'm a failure at a mother…I'm nothing…"

Chie, who never cried, had tears cascading down her pale cheeks. Sesshomaru had his head bowed a little lower than normal. Now everything made sense. She had been standing up for so long, being haunted by her failure in not being able to bring her children back, losing her first mate, and now she had lost a son who had seemingly healed up those wounds. Now, they were much fresher than before…and rawer too.

"Amaya." His deep voice made her look up at him. She gasped when he pulled her weakened and starved form to his chest. She placed her paws on his chest and looked up at him.

"Sess…Sesshomaru…?" she croaked out.

For the first time, his eyes showed sympathetic for her, before pulling her head close to his warm chest. "Cry."

Amaya never trusted a word so much than this time. He was being honest, through that cold voice, and she heard it. He was letting her cry on his shoulder—more like his chest at this point—a thing she hadn't done since her father had banished her from the Southern Lands and she had cried on her brother's shoulder.

She choked and collapsed, crying loudly, and clutching to his form with her claws, her tears of anger, disappointment, mourning, sadness, and pain flowing out like a waterfall. Amaya had innocently transformed back into her humanoid form, bare to the world, but didn't know this. She kept on crying, her body shaking harder and harder as she let everything. Sesshomaru just held her close, a little worried that she would break into a pile of just bones from shaking so hard. This wasn't like him, but something—probably his gut feelings—told him to support her just this time.

He lowered his head in her neck, her dark beautiful hair covering his face as he nuzzled into her. She shivered in cold and held him closer, her demon nails almost ripping his kimono.

After almost thirty minutes of crying, they dulled down to nothing more but whimpers and hiccups. She finally pulled away, gasping when she saw that she had ruined a good kimono. "Sesshomaru! I'm so sorr-" The words didn't get out of her mouth as two sharp fingertips hushed her up.

"It is well." He said blandly, but Amaya could've sworn she saw a ghost of a smile appear on his handsome lips.

Chie smiled, happy that Amaya was finally back in the real world. She could tell because Amaya's eyes were livelier than before, but were still dull with sadness and confusion. A loud growl vibrated from her tiny form.

Amaya felt like dying from embarrassment. She hid her face in his chest and laughed shyly. "Hehe…I guess I'm kind of hungry."

Sesshomaru couldn't help it. He gave her a less cold smile. "Indeed, kit."

She puffed out her lips and his smirk got wider. _'Such lips…maybe she could be punished later on with those.'_ He shook that dirty thought away, baffled on why that came up so sudden. He nodded to Chie, who was also smirking at the two. "Chie. Grab Yoshi"

"Hai, My Lord." She stood up and walked out of the room with grace. The room quiet and Amaya shifted nervously.

"Sesshomaru listen," She began "I'm really sorry for being such an ass."

"We learn from our past mistakes and move forward in life." Sesshomaru said calmly, looking at the door emotionlessly.

Amaya raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She sighed, and finally felt the real affects of hunger and exhaustion start setting in rather fast. She clutched her sides and hissed in pain. "Ooooohhh~" She groaned in pain.

Sesshomaru smiled but it quickly went away when the door opened again. Yoshi and Chie entered with a tray fill with varieties of food. Amaya looked and felt her mouth water, almost drooling in sheer bliss at the sight of food. Yoshi set down the plate and smiled when she saw Amaya eye the food. "I made it extra tasty for you, My Lady."

Amaya looked up questioningly, but smiled caringly. "Miss…um…Yoshi is it?"

Yoshi nodded. Amaya waved her hand idly. "Young Yoshi, I sincerely apologize for being such a nuisance for the last…two days I assume. But, please, do not refer me as 'My Lady' or 'Lady Amaya'. I am not Sesshomaru's mate, just a mere guest that is staying for a few days. I feel more content if you refer to me as just Amaya, Yoshi. And if Lord Sesshomaru has any problems," She paused, looking up at Sesshomaru with a twinkle in her eye. "then let me deal with it, okay?"

Yoshi was baffled, but nodded and smiled. "As you wish, A-Amaya." She had to admit, it did sound weird to speak to a guest of Lord Sesshomaru so…casually. She bowed one more time. "I best be going then."

"Take care." Amaya winked and watched the young servant leave. She sighed and literally sagged against Sesshomaru. "I hate being so formal. Makes me sound older than what I really am." She mumbled.

Sesshomaru chuckled mentally and picked up one of the ripe peaches from the food pile. "Eat."

Amaya looked up at him, but said nothing as she took the peach and bit into it. Flavors of so many varieties sparked her buds, making her moan and lick her lips as she chewed slowly, enjoying every morsel there was.

However, this wasn't a good thing for Sesshomaru. The moan coming from a female cat like her quickly turned into a purr, vibrating her entire being. He didn't know why, but it sparked something deep within him, something that he never had felt before; something that sort of frightened him. He watched her finish off the peach in three large bites, licking her lips in bliss. The Demon Lord felt his pants grow uncomfortable and his eyes turn slightly red.

Amaya sighed, loving the peaches multiple tastes. She looked at Sesshomaru and saw that his eyes were turning red. She smirked, reached up and flicked him hard on the nose. He winced and pulled back. "Pervert." she snickered. He growled at her and she countered it was dog like snort.

"You part dog?" He raised an elegant eyebrow at her.

"Yes and no." She said rather confidently. "I'm half cougar demon from my mother's side, almost half wolf from my father's side, and a little bit of dog demon from my still living grandfather."

"How is that possible? Surely he's over a few millennia now." He said emotionlessly.

"He's actually somewhat of a relative to your father, Lord Sesshomaru." She explained shortly before biting into a medium done steak. Amaya ate it slowly, feeling herself become live again with energy. Once she was able to swallow the meat, she began again.

"The Great Lord Isao of the Southern Lands. Years ago, before my father and mother were even born, Papa Isao was sort of… adopted into the family of your father, InuTashio at a young age. They were close; however my great-grandfather, being a slightly different daiyokai, decided to set out and rule the Southern Lands, in exchange with keeping mutual agreements with the Western Lands once your father was deemed Lord of them.

"My three elder brothers and two sisters all had my father's higher and stronger wolf genes, making them more wolf than cougar. I'm the only one that could change into both, but I haven't accomplished that yet. Probably never will."

"Why is that?" Sesshomaru asked.

She sighed tiredly. "Even when I had all of my former powers, I wasn't the best at transforming. Father looked down at me as if I was trash. Many people thought of me like that because I was the runt of the family and because of my markings. Only mother and Haruko treated me as equally as I would be with them." Amaya explained, staring at her food glumly. "Father never truly loved me, I knew this, but he must've felt something if he allowed me to leave the castle and head to town; maybe relief. It was when I travelled into the nearest village that I had finally met my grandfather Isao." She looked at her remaining deer meat and handed it out to Sesshomaru. "Here, I can tell you are hungry for something. Take it. It's part of my thanks."

Sesshomaru said nothing and accepted her offer, biting into the deer meat. As he watched her eat too, he realized that she was actually quite the loner when it came to adults. She was fantastic with children, for he had seen the actions she carefully does with any child ranging from first born to almost a grown-up. When she protected Rin against demons, she acted like a mother, something she was unable to do to her firstborns, who she explained had died at her own paws. It appeared that she still kept that motherly instinct inside of her around children, not truly knowing that she was supporting them all with her life.

"Cougar." He stated coldly. She looked at him questioningly, her mahogany eyes a shade more normal. "What is Hayato to you?"

He kind of regretted even saying that question, because her scent and posture turned dark with sadness. She smiled pitifully. "Hayato is not what I consider a blessed child at first. He was born as a hanyou and watched his own parents get brutally killed by the snake demons. This was years before I came to Gin Village. He became almost entirely mute and by the time I had resided in the village, Hayato was almost feeling like an outcast to both himself and the villagers. I felt like I was the only one who had the guts and love to comfort him and teach him things so that he would be able to go off on his own one day.

"I never wanted to see him hurt, and I guarded him like a mother would do to her own cubs. Hayato was everything that I had lost in my own children. However, when we were travelling to here that day, Hayato kept…asking about you, Lord Sesshomaru." She looked up at him with a smile. "He wanted to know if you looked down upon him like most demon lords would. I reassured him that you didn't. You don't, do you?"

Sesshomaru's thoughts travelled back to when he had first met Hayato. The cheetah hanyou had admired him with twinkling eyes and even spoke bravely up to him. He shook his head. "No, I do not, Amaya. He interested me…as do you."

Amaya blushed lightly. Her voice turned into that of sincerity. "Hayato kept mentioning that he wanted to become like you, Lord Sesshomaru. I at first thought he was playing with me, but when I saw the determination in his eyes, I knew; you had gained Hayato's respect just as quickly as I had when I first met him. He wanted to be…happy and have the true family he once lost, like me." She paused, looking down at her hands.

Sesshomaru was stunned, even to the point where it sort of showed on his usually stone cold face. Hayato wasn't like his half-brother, Inuyasha, which was for sure. When he suddenly noticed her eyes growing watery, he placed a hand on her shoulder, causing Amaya to look at him again. "He is a good boy, Amaya. He truly was and will always be."

Amaya stared at him, unable to say any words. Instead, she brought her hands up to his face, cupped his cheeks and kissed his crescent mark on his forehead. "Thank you, My Lord." She whispered. She stared deeply into his eyes as she shifted back into her cougar form. She rubbed against his leg affectionately, purring loudly. Sesshomaru didn't know it at first, but the demoness was trying to comfort him. In response, he leaned down and picked up her form, holding her close to his chest, silently enjoying her purring against him.

"Much obliged." He whispered back. She placed her paws on his chest and licked his cheek before hopping down from his grasp and finishing her meal. Amaya ate with patience and with graceful bites. When she was done, she hiccupped and realized Sesshomaru was still there. A thought suddenly popped in her head. "Sesshomaru, do you know where your ward, Rin, is residing?"

Sesshomaru nodded before turning around to head over to the door. Amaya, feeling full now, walked in step with the Demon Lord, whom she thought was growing a more soft side for both her and her adopted son. _'Maybe he'll be more of himself and not the 'Ice Prince' I've come to known for such a long time.'_ She thought hopefully.

Sesshomaru led her to a room door not too far from her own room. He knocked twice. Amaya's ears perked up when she heard the shuffling of bare feet on the other side. Suddenly, the door opened up and a little girl with her black short hair down her shoulders appeared. She wore a beautiful pink kimono with fall leaves designed around the waistline down to her bare feet. Her face, which had been tired at first, suddenly brightened up when she saw both Sesshomaru and Amaya standing at the door. "Amaya!" Without a second thought, Rin jumped at Amaya, wrapping her arms tightly around the cougar, nearly choking her. "Amaya, you're okay! Rin was worried. It's so good to see you again. How are you? Do you want to come play with me?"

"Rin!" Amaya laughed, pulling away slightly. "You talk too fast! Slow down. I'm doing just fine, and I would love to play with you."

"YAY!" The little human cheered. She hugged Amaya again and started pulling her down the hallway. "Come on! I want to show you the flowers that Sesshomaru-sama has planted in the field, Lady Amaya."

Amaya couldn't help but laugh out loud a second time. "Okay! Okay, take me there, sweetheart. But careful, I just ate."

"Okay!" Rin giggled. Amaya looked behind her as she was basically dragged by Rin down the hall. She noticed that Sesshomaru was watching her with amusement on his features. _'I sure wish he wasn't so…self-conscious'_ She thought, trying to keep up with Rin's energetic feet.

**Hope ya'll liked it! Chapter 7 will be up next and we'll lean towards Sesshomaru now. Comments please! They make the world sweeter l) **


	7. A Calm Between the Storm

**Chapter 7 is here! In case anyone is wondering, I don't own any of the Inuyasha characters; only the characters you don't know/ recongize. THOSE WOULD BE MINE! **

**This chapter will show more of Sesshomaru's concern for Amaya, as well as his growing feelings of Hayato. Hope ya'll like it! I'll be posting another chapter up today too! Awesome! **

**Enjoy!**

Sesshomaru was in his studies when he heard a hard thump outside his door. He got up and walked over, startled when he felt the calm but tired aura of Amaya on the other side. He opened the door and was met with the sleeping body of the demoness. "Mmm…I'll catch… you…" She mumbled in her sleep. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow before bending down to pick her up, but halted when she jerked half awake. "Oh! Sesshomaru…" She gasped before giving a long yawn. She arched her back, her claws unsheathing. Sesshomaru's breath faltered a second when he watched her get into such a position, his eyes turning a slight red-gold color.

Amaya looked at him tiredly and raised an eyebrow. "Perv." She snickered. She yawned again, this time longer. "Sorry, Rin is hard to exhaust. It was…nice spending time with children like her. Hayato would most certainly love her."

Sesshomaru could hear through her sleepy voice the slight sadness too. With a sigh, she looked up at him again and forced a smile on her face. "Well, I bid you a well night, Lord Sesshomaru. Sweet dreams."

As he watched the cougar drag her paws down the hallway alone. He felt something odd mix within him. _'She is still mourning.'_

**'A mother who has lost a dear child always mourns the longest, though she is more than that.' **Sesshomaru's inner demon spoke. **'She stands both as a mother and a father-figure to the orphans of this world. It seems wise to at least search for the body of this Hayato child. She'll give us her respect then.'**

Sesshomaru silently agreed with that thought. _'She fears for the worst, but protects for the best of her life. A brave warrior and guardian she is.'_

The taiyoukai walked out of his castle quietly, making sure not to disrupt his guards' duties. He soared into the sky on his momoko, though keeping a relatively low height so that it was easier to see in the dark. The moon's brightness gave him some support in this.

Sesshomaru glanced around, sniffing the air occasionally to detect the faded scents of Hayato and Amaya. When he smelt it, he also smelt faded blood, terror and anger flowing up into the canopy. The dog demon descended down into the forest, landing ever so gracefully.

He was disgusted with the multiple death scents of insect demons. Sesshomaru sniffed again, trying to find anything through the stench. The forest was torn to bits and pieces, a part of the waterfall cliff broken off and had fallen far down below.

Then, he smelt him.

Sesshomaru could smell Hayato's fading scent, which had fallen down into the waterfall. _'He's more than likely dead by now.' _He tried convincing himself. But something inside him didn't want to stop until he truly found the body.

Sighing, Sesshomaru jumped down the rocky cliffside, taking precautions-filled steps down the slippery rocks. When he reached the bottom, slightly drenched with water, he saw that the parts from the battle had washed away or had dissipated into nothing on land, leaving blackened spots behind. Sesshomaru calmly strolled along, stopping occasionally to sniff the air.

After a good hour of patrolling, he didn't smell or find anything that had been Hayato. It was almost as if he had been washed away too. _'More than likely he had been.'_

With a somewhat tired sigh, Sesshomaru went to head up the cliffside, but was stopped when he heard something. He turned his head slightly to hear it better. Nothing. _'My mind is fooling me, as is the forest's common noises.'_ He scoffed mentally and placed a clawed hand on the rocks.

Again, the noise reached his ears; this time, a little louder. It was almost like a weak cough. Sesshomaru whirled around and breathed in the air. The scent, so faint, but it was still there nonetheless. He questioned how he could've missed it; more than likely the death smells and water caused it naturally. Abruptly, he could feel the presence of another demon, a weak one at that. The taiyoukai growled softly, his response—surprisingly—was a weak chirp that continued to echo the forest every three seconds. On quick feet, Sesshomaru walked fast in the direction that the voice was coming.

When he reached a large, abandon cave, only then did he slow to a halt. He sniffed the air and realized that the scent was so much stronger now, though it was weak with low health. "Hayato." He called out emotionlessly.

A sudden hiss rang through his ears. He didn't flinch, but he knew another demon—a much stronger one—was holding the young and injured hanyou hostage. Suddenly, a vine shot out at him; but he already knew. He dodged to the right and slashed the vine with his claws, poison sizzling from each finger. Sesshomaru, with his newly revived hand from the battle four years ago, took out his sword, Bakusaiga, and slashed the many vines springing at him.

Once he saw an opening, he raised his sword and chanted, "Explosive Corrosion Wave!" The blow destroyed the tree demon from inside, shredding it to nothing. "Weak demon." He coldly stated, placing away his sword. The demon lord walked in, looking around for any signs of life. "Hayato." He called out one more time.

"…urgh…Ses…Sesshomar…u…Father…?" A raspy voice answered weakly. Sesshomaru walked over to a very torn up body of Hayato. He bent down, brushing away with his hand a few strains of hair.

"Hayato?"

The boy tried turning his head, but it was far too painful for him to do so. Sesshomaru watched Hayato cough up spit filled blood. "Ughh… Sesshom… aru… where… Ma…"

"Be still, child." He instructed quietly. He knew that Amaya would have a near dying heart attack if he brought her adopted son back in this kind of condition, and may fall back into an even worse mourning state than before if Hayato dies at the castle. Sesshomaru dropped his momoko around the boy, for some reason not really caring that blood was now staining it. At least it was keeping the child warm and protected.

Sesshomaru—though he never told anyone about this—had actually learned quite a bit about herbal medicines from Chie. She had taught him the basics for healing wounds and curing almost impossible infections or poisons. She had acted more of a mother than his real mother had.

The dog demon was a little hesitant on leaving Hayato, but was reassured when Hayato managed to place up a barrier around him, giving him less of a chance of being caught and killed. Sesshomaru scavenged for a short time, coming upon many plants. Sesshomaru soon arrived back at the cave, crushing up the herbs and dropped them into a bowl-like rock he found. He lifted up Hayato's head very carefully, and said, "Drink this."

Hayato's mind was in a fog, as were most of his senses. But he could hear the deep cold voice of Sesshomaru vaguely telling him to drink something that was in front of him. He opened his mouth slightly, just enough so that he could feel something sweet and bitter go into his throat. He had a hard time swallowing, almost to the point of choking on the medicine, but managed to get it all down with very little of a mess.

Sesshomaru saw that Hayato was starting to shake again, so he went out, collected wood and started a fire in the cave. As the wood burned, Sesshomaru's sharp nose smelled out the sweet scent of rain outside of the cave. He looked to see a slight drizzly slowly turning into an average rainfall, thunder rolling above their heads..

"Ma…Ma's name…Night Rain…" Hayato spoke up suddenly.

Sesshomaru looked at the child, his face showing no emotion. Hayato chuckled. Now that a few hours had gone by, the herbs and rest had given him more time to heal his wounds and sickness. The cheetah half demon sat upright slightly, gazing out into the rain. "Ma always loves rain, no matter what the situation was. Whether anger, sadness, grief, joy, or solitude, the rain somehow always represented Ma in every way. Ma… so unknowingly mysterious and endless kindness."

Sesshomaru was least to say amused that the kid was talking so much now. He had barely even spoke a whole paragraph a few days prior. He looked outside, still silent as the rain itself. Hayato spoke up again, "I'm…sorry if I ever annoyed you, Mr. Sesshomaru-sama. Ma…Ma tells me about how you somewhat…hate hanyous…"

"Not hate. Just annoyed with specific ones." Sesshomaru placed in.

"Would I count?"

Sesshomaru looked down at the boy, realizing that he wanted an honest answer. Amaya must've been very truthful to him before he disappeared. The hanyou's eyes were worried but still wanted to hear the truth from a great lord like him.

With a swift movement, Sesshomaru planted a hand on top of Hayato's head. His eyes were startled by the actions, causing him to stiff up and look up at him. "No. You are…different; as is Amaya." Sesshomaru allowed a quick smile appeared. It vanished just as quick however. He leaned up against the wall that his momoko was leaning on. "Sleep. We have a castle to go to tomorrow."

Hayato nodded his head, feeling relief and something else course through his body; a connection. He smiled tiredly, yawned and collapsed down on the momoko. With an inhale of air, Hayato transformed into his white cheetah form, no taller than to Sesshomaru's knees, whereas Amaya was almost to his waistline.

Sesshomaru jumped slightly when Hayato's small form curled up almost directly on his lap. "Mmm…Night…Father Sesshomaru…" The boy sighed.

If anyone else had called him that, he would surely kill him or her. But Hayato had always wanted a father-figure, something he could look up to. And Sesshomaru, knew this. For some stupid reason…it actually made him proud…and happy.

Though Hayato couldn't see it, Sesshomaru had a smirk on his face. He reached down and brought his momoko over the cheetah hanyou's body, swallowing him up in fluffy warmth.

_'A boy who always wanted another male to look at him as a son.'_ Sesshomaru thought. _'He is a good choice as a son._ _As _my _son.'_

With a sigh, Sesshomaru stayed awake, making sure that danger didn't hurt another thing that felt important to him.

o / o / o / o

Amaya was confused. When she had woken up the next morning—or afternoon more like it— she had expected Sesshomaru to be scowling at her for sleeping so late after breakfast. However, the Great Demon Lord was nowhere in her sight, or even in the castle for that matter.

The cougar had asked a few maids and guards if they had seen him; each time they were an innocent and truthful '_no_'. Despite not liking Sesshomaru very much at the time, Amaya was truly worried for his safety.

She was trotted down the hall, her claws clicking on the wood floor, leading to the gardens out behind the castle, when she stopped and saw Chie talking to Rin as they headed her way. Amaya chirped to get their attention. "Excuse me, ladies, but have you either seen Lord Sesshomaru anywhere? I haven't seen him anywhere else in the castle and it's almost high noon."

"Rin and I haven't seen him anywhere. Why? Are you worried?" Chie raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Amaya scoffed and shook her head. "I was actually hoping that—since I'm growing a little fatter thanks to sitting around and doing nothing except stuffing my face—Lord Sesshomaru would at least train with me for a while."

"Well—"

"Lady Chie! High Maid! Come quick!" Yoshi came running down the hall that Amaya had been through.

"What's the matter?"

"It's…It's Lord Sesshomaru! And he has someone with him, too! They're right outside of the garden's boundaries and heading this way!"

Amaya felt her fur prickle in curiosity. She looked at the two girls and nodded. "Let's go." The three women and teenager walked out to the garden area together.

Since spring was extended farther into the season than expected, all the flowers were in fuller bloom than they had been in years. Amaya lifted her head, opened her mouth, and breathed in from both her jaw and nose, taking in all the scents around her.

She quickly detected Sesshomaru coming, but another scent made her whole body freeze up in disbelief. _'No…could it be…?'_

"Cougar."

Amaya jumped, startled when she heard Sesshomaru's deep voice not too far from behind her. She turned to gasp in shock. Tears of happiness and relief watered up in her eyes.

"H…Haya…_Hayato_!" She cried out.

"Ma!"

His albino cheetah form tackled her full force, knocking her back slightly. She transformed into her humanoid form and clung him as closely as possible to her chest. "My son! You're alive... Oh god… you're okay…" She sobbed into his hair. He didn't care, for he was whimpering in happiness to be back into his mother's arms.

"Ma…I'm okay…thanks to Father." Hayato whispered. Amaya pulled away slightly, confused. Hayato forgot who was there and bowed his head. "I mean…Lord Sesshomaru saved me Ma. He healed me all up and we got up the waterfall side easily. I thanked him a lot and listened to him respectfully—" Amaya placed one finely manicured claw on his mouth to stop him mid-sentence. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.

"No more, my son. I'm just glad you are safe." She said with a smile. Amaya pushed him off and introduced him quickly to Rin. Immediately, she could feel the connection between the young teens turn for the good. She watched them run off into the meadow and started playing a game Hayato knew as '_Hide-and-Seek_'. He raced into the woods with Rin, but not too far away that Amaya lost his presence; he knew better.

She nodded to Chie and Yoshi to give her and the daiyokai some time alone. They bowed respectfully and walked away. Amaya looked at Sesshomaru with a blank stare.

Sesshomaru expected her to scowl and walk away. But, instead, she folded her hands and bowed to him deeply. All too quickly, she stood straight and smiled at him. "Thank you Lord Sesshomaru…I thought I had lost him…" She trailed off, her eyes filled with sadness at the thought. He eyed her for a long time, then she sighed. "Sesshomaru… I'm sorry for being so rude all this time. I believe that if we leave, you will not have to deal with my attitude." She went to turn around, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her feet.

"You shall stay, for Hayato is still a little stiff and needs more rest." Sesshomaru said blandly. She looked up into his eyes and saw the almost invisible worriedness in them. Amaya smiled and shrugged.

"If you say so, Lord Sesshomaru." She mocked, brushing past his side into the castle. "I trust that Hayato is smart enough to protect and play with Rin, so you should trust him more."

Sesshomaru watched her trail off back into his castle, slowly transforming back into her cougar form. He had always found her form intriguing, especially with the markings covering the majority of her back. He let a small, quick smirk float onto his face as Amaya walked away. _'Most confusing creature I've met.'_ he thought. Glancing back at the two teens that reappeared from the woods, he saw Hayato look up and nodded a silent promise to the Demon Lord. With that, Sesshomaru, too, left the garden.

**Chapter 8 will be up quickly! Until then; Au revoir!**


	8. Amusing Predicaments

**I told you I would have Ch. 8 up soon! XD. Now in the beginning stars off a little different; in Hayato's quick POV. If anyone's is confused, please ask on the review page and I'll answer your questions as best as I can.**

**Enjoy!**

Previous:

_Sesshomaru watched her trail off back into his castle, slowly transforming back into her cougar form. He had always found her form intriguing, especially with the markings covering the majority of her back. He let a small, quick smirk float onto his face as Amaya walked away. _'Most confusing creature I've met.' _he thought. Glancing back at the two teens that reappeared from the woods, he saw Hayato look up and nodded a silent promise to the Demon Lord. With that, Sesshomaru, too, left the garden._

* * *

The sky slowly started changing into the early evening colors, which consisted of light blue to the shade varieties of red, orange, and yellow. Small to medium sized fluffy clouds of white and a misty blend with the sky colors floated in the air, gliding willingly with the soft breeze that blew.

Amaya leaned farther out against the balcony's edge, her claws lightly digging around the concrete for sturdiness. She inhaled from her mouth and nose, taking in all the aromas from the kitchen from down below, to the forests' airy but soothing smells. Amaya loved all the smells in and out of the castle. Everything was far more peaceful and welcoming in some ways than she had first expected.

The cougar demoness sighed out a puff of air. She didn't know what to expect anymore. She felt…lost in her own self. Something was stirring deep in her; so deep that it even surpassed well into her inner demon's being. It always came alive and stung somewhat—like a little burn—whenever she breathed in the smell of Sesshomaru's natural scent; his own hard-working cologne smell, with the forest and even the drizzle of rain. And it was scaring her beyond her mind at this point.

A knock brought her out of her thoughts. Amaya's whiskers twitched, her nose picking out the calm aura of Chie. "Come in." She called out.

"Child, it is time for dinner. I'm here to escort you." Chie said, her hands folded into her kimono as she bowed.

Amaya looked at her, startled at the statement. She fidgeted on the railing edge. "Um…that's okay, Chie. I think that I'll skip dinner tonight."

Now it was Chie's turn to be shocked. "But, Amaya! You're still recovering from your stage of mourning. Food is essential for you right now. Why don't you want to come for dinner?"

"It's not that I'm hungry, Chie. I'm starving. But…years ago, my father never allowed me to enter any dining area, even if we travelled to other lands for parties or meetings. I fear that I'm being too much of a burden—"

"Child, forgive me for interrupting, but you have to realize that…Sesshomaru isn't like your father. He's not what others really believe. Under all of the ice that he had forced himself to become, he's the man that every wise woman or lady would love and care for. He cares for _you, _my Lady, and he cares for the children too. And it's polite for a high lord like him to come to dinner. Give him a chance, will you?" She explained softly, walking up to be standing next to the shy cougar demoness. Chie smiled softly when she saw the feline fidget to and fro, carefully making sure that she was clinging onto the edge.

Finally, after a while, Amaya spoke quietly. "But I don't have anything worthy enough to wear to dinner."

Chie laughed. "Oh, love, you seriously need to jump back into the life and ways of lords and ladies. Come with me and I'll help you out." She said, turning back around to head inside Amaya's room. She opened up the closet and disappeared into it.

Amaya raised an eyebrow before transforming into her humanoid form and jumping off the edge. She walked inside and heard Chie call out, "I would highly suggest that you go and wash off all that dirt and grub off your body, Lady Amaya."

Amaya sighed, giving up on reminding the maids—especially Chie—that she wanted to be called just Amaya. She did as order, walking out into a specially made spring. She undressed herself, placing a toe gingerly into the warm water. She sighed at the contact and slipped slowly into the springs. She pulled over the nightly rain scented jar and washed herself until she was sure that the scent was imbedded in her skin. Taking in a breath, she dunked under the water, washing off the remaining dirt and soap substance from her hair and body. She sprang up to the water surface, squeezing out as much of the water from her black short-cropped hair as possible, before walking out of it. She found one of the towels and dried herself off. She walked back into her room, taking one of the brushes and combing her hair as she sat down in front of the mirror.

"My Lady, your dress." Chie's voice brought her out of her brushing session.

Amaya turned around, only to gasp at the dress that was in front of her. She blushed and gulped. "It's beautiful…but will it look nice on me?" She asked shyly.

_'A brave warrior to battles, but shyer than a caterpillar when it comes to being a woman. I hope the children's plan will work.'_ "Love, only you are allowed to wear this kimono dress. Now, please, we don't want to wait Lord Sesshomaru any longer do we?" She raised an eyebrow while smirking. Amaya glared softly at her before taking the kimono. Chie's eyes slowly widened at the kimono went onto Amaya's form. Finally, Amaya turned back around and noticed Chie was slightly gaping at her.

"Does it look that bad?" She asked, her brows furrowing downward.

Chie shook her head and smirked widely. "Heaven's no, and I know Sesshomaru will think the exact same. Come on now, we're late." She took Amaya's hand and pulled the confused demoness down the hall.

Sesshomaru felt his eyebrow twitch. _'Where the hell is that cat?'_ He thought inwardly. He had told the cooks to hold the food, just in case she was late. He didn't like late guests to a dinner. He glanced over at Hayato and Rin, who were both happily chatting away.

The large doors leading into the dining hall opened up with a low groan, revealing a scene he was not expecting. For a second, he forgot how to breathe.

Amaya was dressed in a navy blue dress that had simple, yet elegant lighter blue and purple hibiscuses on it. It blended beautifully with her short black hair, which was left down. Oh, how he suddenly had the urge to rip out the lace holding her hair and run his claws through those short locks. Squishing that insane thought from his mind, Sesshomaru glanced more at her. Amaya's facial markings were most unusual too. The black stripe on each cheek slanted upwards to a faded blue raindrop; a symbol of banishment from the Southern Land throne. She didn't have the momoko tail like the rest of the Southern royalty, another sigh of banishment.

"My Lord, Lady Amaya is here. We apologize for being late." Chie bowed. Amaya bowed her head in a slight apology before walking forward. She was stopped however, when two bodies ran into her legs. Luckily, she managed to stay upright and hug the kids close to her form.

"You look spectacular, Ma!" Hayato gasped. Rin nodding eagerly in agreement.

"Hai! Hai! Doesn't Sesshomaru-sama think so too?" The two kids looked at the demon lord. However, only emotionless eyes were met to them. Amaya frowned at his demeanor but shook her head.

"Alright, children. That's enough hugging. I don't want to hold dinner up for any longer. Today's been a long day. Come." She guided them over to their futon cushions and sat down next to Hayato. "I truly apologize, Lord Sesshomaru." She simply said after a heartbeat.

"…Let us just eat" He said coldly.

The dinner may have been silent for the adults, but the kids kept Amaya and Sesshomaru—mentally—amused by tell them stories about what they did that afternoon for playing. Amaya laughed every so often at what they had done, making her heart feel full of pride when she heard Hayato boast about how he beat Rin in a game of tag.

Finally, after a good thirty-five minutes, the kids finished their meal. Hayato looked over at his adopted mother, watching her slowly chewing through every food item she had on her plate. That's one thing he learned from her too; enjoying what is given to you in life. At first, he would gobble up all of his food, before blushing at her amused look. Later on, he copied her tactics of eating and realized that taste was really all in how someone enjoys it.

Amaya gulped down the remains of her mango, licking her fingers of the juices. It was sweet with a hint of spice in it; her favorite kind of combination. She looked to see Sesshomaru staring at her, his amber eyes somewhat glazed over. She felt her inner demon bristle. She growled internally. _'Do not even think about it.'_ she warned.

**'Oh, child, a good playtime isn't going to hurt anyone'** her inner demon chuckled. Amaya felt her eye twitch.

_'Please, spare me. I don't want to know what you are thinking, cat.'_ She sighed.

**'Don't say that to me, darling. My mind is nothing compared to any male's mind, especially a high lord such as Sesshomaru. Who knows what flies through their minds.' **This is, both of them gave off shudders of nervousness. Both fell silent once more.

After a few more minutes of silence, Amaya stood up and bowed to Sesshomaru. "I thank you for dinner, Lord Sesshomaru. It was wonderful. Come, little ones, it is time for a night's sleep."

"Hai!" They said and raced to their bedrooms, leaving Amaya and Sesshomaru alone once more. She turned around and bowed to him.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru, for the food. This…" She trailed off for a second. "This is the first time, in a very long time, since I've ever had a dinner in the royal dinner area."

When all was silent again. She looked up to see Sesshomaru now standing in front of her. She backed away, her eyes looking at something else other than him. Amaya finally turned away. "I wish you well dreams, Sesshomaru. Goodnight."

Amaya walked to her room, shutting the door behind her and sighing loudly. She hated herself now. _'Why should I fall for someone like him. A cold-hearted demon like him deserves better.'_

**'That makes him stubborn. He is not stubborn in his wants anymore, Amaya. He is stubborn in his own ego and pride.' **Her demon chuckled. Amaya laughed too.

_'I guess so. But I have a feeling the children are up to something, though I do not know what. I hope it isn't something that will get them in big trouble.'_ She thought as she carefully took off the beautiful kimono, folded it and placed it on a chair, leaving her in her under white kimono. _'Have you've seen a change in Sesshomaru too, Michi?'_ Amaya had given her inner demon a name so that she didn't have to call her 'Miss Demon'. It annoyed both of them.

**'Aye, I have. Though you'll find out in your time.' **Michi said slowly. **'But let us not worry about this right now, child. We need more recovery time and rest' **

Amaya sighed and transformed into her cougar form. She walked the rest of the way back to her room, shutting the door behind her once she was in. With a tired yawn, Amaya crawled under the four poster bed. She couldn't stop the forever more feeling of being a burden to everyone. _'I wonder if that was my father's true goal; to make me feel, for the rest of my life, like I was nothing…'_ She curled into a tight ball, wrapping her tail around till it touched her nose, and closed her eyes.

o / o / o / o

Sesshomaru had watched the young demoness walk away, her scent filled somewhere between confusion and extreme shyness. She was so different if someone wiped away the children, her friends, and leaving her by herself. She was, by various long shots, nothing like the many female demonesses he has met. They've always tried to hump him for courtship, disgusting him to no end. The only female he had slept with was when he was purposely drugged by the female herself. When he woke up earlier than she had expected, she had been taking him hard. Sesshomaru punished her by taking her life.

But Amaya was everything that a demoness would never even consider being or doing. Amaya protected children for ages and ages, watching them grow up and train to better than before. Now he understood what Kagome met when he had visited the village.

(Flashback)

_The village was bustling with activity that day. Though he didn't show it, he was thoroughly amused and somewhat proud that the young miko had done a good enough job in making the village into a safe haven for everyone. His half-brother and the monk took over the duty once the hanyou's mate started conceiving their child. _

_ As he landed, he flicked off Jaken, who had been holding onto his tail during the flight, sending him into the dirt. "Jaken, go find Rin and stay with her." he said icily. Without another word, he walked off, leaving the toad demon to search for Sesshomaru's ward. He sniffed the air once, almost immediately detecting the smell of his half-brother. Almost as quickly as he dodged the large sword that hit the dirt ground. _

_ "What the hell are you doing here, Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha shouted, bringing his sword into fighting stance. _

_ "Half-brother, cease your foolish attacks. This Sesshomaru is here to see his ward."_

_ "Feh, like that's going to fool me!" Inuyasha scoffed before bracing himself to pounce. _

_ "Sit!" _

_ Inuyasha kissed the dirt hard as the beads on his neck activated by the command. Sesshomaru's lips twitched as he heard Inuyasha groan in pain. The demon lord looked up to see a calm miko in her priestess clothing. She was holding Aki in her arms. Aki's ears flickered when she heard Sesshomaru and Inuyasha arguing. _

_ Sesshomaru bowed slightly to Kagome. "Miko" He said emotionlessly. He had gotten used to Kagome; she was so different from most humans and from her husband it amused him. _

_ Kagome bowed as well. "Hello, Lord Sesshomaru. I assume you are here to see Rin. I apologize for my husband's selfish and stupid actions." She smiled. Aki giggled before clapping at the fact that her father was in the ground. _

_ "Da in grwon! Da in grwon!" She exclaimed._

_ Kagome laughed and indicated for the demon lord to follow her into her hut. Behind them, they heard Inuyasha shout, "You lay a hand on my family, bastard, you'll regret it!" _

_ "Sit." Kagome said under her breath. A loud crash was followed again. _

_ When a villager came to take Aki away to a different place, Kagome thanked them and sat down with Sesshomaru. "Just to let you know right now, Lord Sesshomaru, your "daughter" is doing well. She enjoys being around humans, but there are times where she misses you. Why don't you take her for a little while. I think she would most enjoy it." Kagome explained._

_ Sesshomaru noticed something was off about the miko. She seemed happy, but something about his sister-in-law was upset. "Speak your worry, miko." he said. Though he would never really show it in front of her, he did care about Kagome. _

_ She chuckled lightly. "I knew you would realize something was up eventually. It's just that…" she paused for a moment. "Things feel off and not complete without Amaya here. Everything felt…more alive while she was around. I was disappointed when she gave us the letter two years ago after I had gotten back, saying that she couldn't meet us for a long time." She looked at a pile of herbs and smiled. "She knew so much about life, it was unbelievable sometimes. She was a blessed cougar when it came to taking care of the youth and infants of this world." She stopped, tilting her head up and laughed heartily. "She was Mother Protector of Children, as what I used to call her." _

_ Sesshomaru was confused. Yes, he knew that Amaya was a brave warrior, a smart one at that, but he never really looked at her as a true protector of the young. Yes, she had saved Rin from Naraku, and that's how she earned his respect; but he didn't know Amaya as much as Kagome did._

_ Kagome smiled at him. "I can tell you are confused, brother." She giggled. "You'll understand later on." _

(End of Flashback)

Sesshomaru was more stuck up back then, not really taking what Kagome said seriously. But now, it all made sense; Amaya truly cared about any child.

Sighing, he got up from his unfinished work and walked out of his office. He looked around the hallway, not finding the servants anywhere to be seen. At the end of the hall, the moon's rays snuck in, giving the castle a more eerie glow to it.

He started walking towards his room when he realized something. _'That cat…she sleeps not too far. Why does this Sesshomaru care? She is mere a cat, noting more or less.'_ He argued with himself. However, his body thought otherwise, as his feet took him to her room's door. The demon lord stared at it for a long minute, pondering whether he should enter or not. Finally, after making his stiff decision, Sesshomaru turned the doorknob and pushed inward.

Sesshomaru was met with what looked like an untouched and unoccupied room. However, when he tilted his head up and drew in a breath, the room contained her scent heavily, meaning she was still in the room. _'Where is she hiding?'_ He thought. Entering the room and shutting the door behind him, Sesshomaru looked to see no body on or in the guest bed. "Amaya." He called out. There was no answer at first, but he didn't need one; once he looked down and saw a brown tail poking out from underneath the bed.

He knelt down and finally sensed her. Amaya had shielded her own scent and aura to make sure no one would find her. Peering further down, he noticed how uncomfortably curled up she looked. She seemed nothing more than a tight ball with two ears and a tail. He frowned. _'Why does she push herself so harshly into these unacceptable positions? Surely her parents treated her to what I was treated.'_ Shaking his head mentally, Sesshomaru grabbed Amaya's tail and pulled her out.

Just like what would happen to a dog, Amaya's eyes snapped open in confusion and shock when she saw the intruder who pulled hard at her tail was none other than Sesshomaru himself. "S-S-Sesshomaru!" She gasped. Just as quickly, she flattened her ears and snarled in annoyance. "What is it that you want, Sesshomaru? And why the hell did you pull my tail almost out of its socket?" She growled.

Sesshomaru smirked inwardly. _'Her moods change. A feisty woman like her is certainly interesting one at that._' He smacked himself inwardly. _'Curse these low thoughts!'_

"Hey! You goin' to answer or am I going to have to rip off your nuts to get one?" She snarled. Amaya hated anyone who dared to disturb her slumber, except children. The demoness didn't flinch when he growled in warning.

"Cougar, I suggest you watch your tongue, regardless if you were asleep or not. This Sesshomaru doesn't take orders from others." He said coldly.

Amaya growled one more time before grabbing her tail and yanking it out of his grasp. She then started grooming it. "Well, now that I'm awake, again, what are you doing here, Sesshomaru?" She grumbled.

"This Sesshomaru should be asking you the same thing about not sleeping in the guest bed. Why do you sleep under it?" He said.

Amaya looked at him with skeptical eyes. He noticed that her anger had lessened, but it was still there; and something else sparked in her eyes. Was it…sympathy?

She sighed. "If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me."

"I am in no hurry and you shall not lie to me, cougar."

Amaya glanced up at him before shrugging. "Alright" She said, hopping up onto the bed. She took a deep breath and began. "I was never appreciated correctly by my family. More or less my father. He never saw me as his daughter or even as a possible next in line for the throne. He was nicer to my older sisters and brothers, he loved my mother, but he forced her and my siblings to stay away from me and treat me harshly. My 'home' was a cell down underneath the castle. I ate either there, far from the family in a corner like a rat, or underneath the table if my father was in a good mood. He's the one who took my powers, my life, almost everything. Held a grudge on his since then.

"Brother tried to get me to stop feeling so down on myself, but that hardly worked. So my father's kind of the reason that I don't do specific things that any person does." She said, shrugging.

"And you've been unable to get out of those…routines?" Sesshomaru asked. His body was in turmoil, debating whether or not to run to the Southern Kingdoms and speak with her father about this, but decided not to do so.

She nodded her head. "Hai, and if there was anything that could bring me out of these…habits so to say, I would be very grateful. But for now, I'm heading back to bed." Amaya turned to crawl back under the bed, when something warm wrapped around her waist, easily lifting her out from the bed and off the ground. She gasped, instinctively grasping onto the closest thing at the second, which was the arm of Sesshomaru.

The feeling of her sharp claws digging into his only arm hurt more than what he was expecting. He couldn't stop the hiss that escaped his lips as they dug harder into his skin.

Amaya whirled her head to see the slight pain in Sesshomaru's eyes, immediately regretting what she had done. She let go and hung reluctantly in his arm. "I'm so sorry, Sesshomaru! I didn't mean—"

"It's fine."

She stopped when she heard his whisper. The cougar looked up at him and noticed that the pain was gone from his face, only to be replaced with the same mask. But, there was a glint of something in his eyes so small she almost missed it. Was it… acceptance? "Wha…What are you doing?" Amaya asked as Sesshomaru started standing.

"You'll see." Was all he said before walking out of her room.

Since Amaya had slept in her smaller cougar form—which she calls her juvenile form—she easily fitted right into his chest and arm. They were incredible comfortable to be in, despite the fact that she was in the clutches of the 'Killing Perfection'. The demoness glanced up at him. He was deadly in every way possible. The moon had shone in an angle that it made Sesshomaru's face glow, making him even more attractive to look at.

She quickly looked away when that though came up. _'Stupid! Stop thinking of such things!'_ Amaya scowled at herself. She concentrated on his feet guided them to a location.

When they slowed to a stop and the noise of a door opening, only then did Amaya look up. She felt her face grow hot. "May I ask why the hell are you taking me into your room? If this is some sort of game to you, I'm not in the mood." She growled.

"You are sleeping with me and not under a bed, cougar." He said emotionlessly. She gaped at him in confusion. Snapping her mouth shut, she looked around the room.

The room was far larger than her own that's for sure; almost twice the size, in fact. A sliding bamboo door that lead to his own bathroom, while another door that lead to, more than likely, his office room. A balcony stretched out on the left side of his room. In the back, she could distinctly see the beautifully rare, custom-made four-poster bed. The sheet consisted of red, brown and cream. The pillows looked fluffy and nice to sleep on. Silky white curtains that were tied up on the ends of each bed pole could fall down, giving the sleeper a somewhat sense of privacy.

As Sesshomaru walked over to the bed, Amaya felt dirty. "Wait!" She said abruptly, making him stop in his tracks. When she felt his gaze on her, she shifted a little in his grasp. "I don't want to ruin those sheets, Sesshomaru. Can I…can I please go wash up?"

Sesshomaru raised a perfect eyebrow at such a request. Not saying anything, Sesshomaru placed her down in front of her bamboo screen. He opened it and watched her go into his bathroom. He thought it was odd that he was letter only her into the bathroom. No one except for the maids he assigns, has ever gone to his bathroom. 'Is she really messing me up that much?' he thought as she shut it behind her with her foot. He, in turn, started undressing himself, leaving only his hakama on.

On the other side of the screen, Amaya transformed into her humanoid form and looked around. The bathroom was actually connected to a manmade spring. The spring's steam rose up in clouds, but that didn't affect her senses. Amaya looked behind herself one more time before taking off her clothing. She stepped carefully out of the beautiful kimono dress, folding it so that it didn't get as many wrinkles on it. Amaya then stepped into the hot water, gasping when it made contact with her skin. She slowly eased herself in, sighing when she got accustomed to the heat. The cougar demoness lolled her head to the side, releasing all the tension from her neck and upper back.

Grabbing the jar filled with the fragment cinnamons and cherry blossoms, Amaya scooped up a handful and started washing her body. She made extra sure that her skin and hair were clean as the spring waters. Dunking herself under the water, she washed off the soapy substance as best as she could. Then she came back to the surface, shaking her head to get some of the water out.

Amaya climbed out of the springs, using one of the many towels to dry her body off. Only when she tied the soft towel around her chest did she realize that she didn't have any clean clothing. And she was most certainly not going to ruin her kimono dress by placing it back on. Hesitantly, Amaya walked over to the screen and pulled it open slightly. "Um…Sesshomaru?" She called out shyly.

"Hn"

"Can I please…" She trailed off, feeling her cheeks grow hot. "Can I please borrow one of your kimonos? I feel literally naked without something on while I'm in my cougar form."

Sesshomaru eyed the small head that poked through the bamboo screen. Her body was angled so that only her head was sticking out. **'I wonder what she truly looks like. A demoness that might be willing to give herself to us…' **his inner demon purred mischievously.

_'Silence, dog. She isn't ours for the taking.'_ Sesshomaru sighed mentally. He instead got up and grabbed the white kimono he wore today and handed it to her. She took it and quickly hid herself again behind the screen. He watched her shadow placed on his kimono very slowly, apparently taking in the softness of the silk.

To his dismay, he saw her markings glow as she shifted down into her cougar form. Sesshomaru backed up when the screen opened up completely to reveal the demoness. He had to admit, her slim figure was quite attractive even for a cat. _'Enough with these pathetic thoughts! This Sesshomaru can't think of such for an opposite creature.'_

'**I'd like to differ on that, boy. She is quite fine for both of us. Don't fool yourself on that, because it will come back and hit you in the face, hard.'** His inner demon chuckled before leaving Sesshomaru's mind for the night.

Amaya felt uncomfortable yet again under Sesshomaru's intense gaze, despite the fact that he was staring off into space. _'Oh, please let me not go into heat under this tension!'_ She pleaded_. 'The last thing I need to do is look like a whore!'_

Sesshomaru broke the tension by leaning down and picking the small cougar up again. Amaya gasped when her head came in contact with his lean muscular chest. She felt her inside warm up not in pure heat, but by something she thought had left her when she discovered her former wasn't the one. Love.

Looking up at him as he walked towards the bed, Amaya noticed that his eyes were glancing down slightly at her. Amaya didn't know why, but this old but suddenly newer feeling to her made her stomach freeze and churn. Placing her head on his chest again, she sighed, letting out a content purr.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was quite shocked at her actions. Here, once again, the cougar's mood had changed on him. But, on the flipside, he didn't mind it at all. In fact, it was more than enough for him and he realized that she was slowly changing him into someone whom wanted to protect her and her kit. _'Father must be proud.'_ he thought sarcastically.

Getting to his bed, he moved his hands outward, signaling to her that he was going to set her down. Saddened by his movements, she complied by jumping out of his warmth, instantly missing it. She felt the bed sag down as the demon lord got under his sheets. When silence started up again, Amaya shifted her paws and finally spoke up, "Well, I hope you have well dreams, Lord Sesshomaru. Good night." The cougar circled twice before curling in a circle at his feet. She heaved out a long sigh before closing her eyes.

Sesshomaru eyed her with a hint of disappointment. Then he reminded himself that she was still scared and worried he would be like her father. _'That shall change for the both of us.'_

Sitting upright, he grabbed her, causing her to yelp out, and brought her up to his chest. When she attempted to pull away, he tightened his grip, warning her not to try doing the act. When she finally stilled, only then did he trust her enough to pull away, despite missing her form. But, surprisingly enough, Amaya curled up closer to him, however keeping her back towards his chest. He gave off just a hint of a smile to her.

"Sleep well, Amaya…"

**GAAH! So much re-editing on this one! Yes, it may be longer than the others, but feels right. I must admit, torturing Sesshomaru on Amaya is kinda fun l). No worries about that though.**

**For those who are wondering about Amaya's kimono dress, here's a link to a dress very similar to it (only Amaya's is darker and has hibiscuses on it)..**

**Chapter 9 will be up in two days (I hope). Then I'm off to Virginia. But for now, NAP TIME! **

**Comments and review make us all happy l). Adios!**


	9. Disturbing Encounters

**Chapter 9 people! Hope ya'll like it.**

Previous:

_Sitting upright, he grabbed her, causing her to yelp out, and brought her up to his chest. When she attempted to pull away, he tightened his grip, warning her not to try doing the act. When she finally stilled, only then did he trust her enough to pull away, despite missing her form. But, surprisingly enough, Amaya curled up closer to him, however keeping her back towards his chest. He gave off just a hint of a smile to her._

_"Sleep well, Amaya…"_

* * *

The next morning, the sun rose over the Western Mountains, giving a beautiful rainbow of colors throughout the lands. The previous night's misty hue had finally settle on the rocks and grass, giving everything a light shine to the sun's rays. Even the flowers seemed to sparkle magically.

The rays shone through the windows of the Western Palace and into Sesshomaru's room. Despite having the white silk curtains down around his bed, the bright sunlight just seemed to get brighter after hitting the white. His lazily shut eyes cringed at the powerful whiteness behind his lids, waking him up from his dreamless world. When he opened his eyes, Sesshomaru had to hold in a gasp.

Amaya had slept through the whole night in his bed. But she caught him off when she had accidently transformed back into her humanoid form during the middle of night. His kimono had obviously been far bigger than they had both expected, because now Sesshomaru could almost see her chest. However, she was at angle, half-curled into a ball, that he couldn't see her breasts. The kimono went down to her waist and the upper part of her thighs, allowing him to see her beautiful long legs. He felt his eyes turn red. _'Kami save the torture…'_ he prayed.

He looked back at the demoness, noticing that she was very relaxed in his bed, her brown hair was sprawled out around her face, covering most of it from his view. He reached over and pulled multiple little strands away from her face and placed them behind her head. The demon lord nearly groaned when she moaned and sighed into his touch.

"Mmm…Sessho…maru…" She said in her sleep. His eyes widened when she turned to face him. He couldn't help his urge and wrapped his only arm around her small waist. Amaya apparently was surprising him more and more, for she snuggled into his chest again. As she started moving more, it took basically all of his willpower not to take her.

When she yawned and slowly opened her eyes, he felt his heart stop. Her eyes were suddenly prettier than what he had seen before as the sun reflected in them. _'Does she not know how rare of beauty she is?'_ He slapped himself mentally for thinking, yet again, of those stupid attracting thoughts.

Amaya felt warmer than she had been ever. It was firm, but welcoming bare and soothing to feel. When she opened her eyes, the sunlight blinded her for a second, before they became accustomed to it. When Amaya looked up, she felt her face turn red as a tomato. Sesshomaru was the object, and mainly it was his chest.

Her face turned a harder red when she watched a sly smirk come across his face, making it more handsome. "I assume you slept well, cougar?" He asked, his hand pulling her closer when she tried to pull away.

"Uh…I'm sorry Sesshomaru for…uh…" Her mind was starting to fog up and a hint of pain was sent through her body. She forced it down, while at the same time, pushing fully away from Sesshomaru's beautifully sculptured body. She tried to settle down her breathing, but nothing was working. Years of patience and willpower now were just like when she was a cub on her first heat.

She gasped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Her body started shaking and hurting even more. "What's wrong, Amaya?" She was surprised to hear Sesshomaru sound worry again.

Shaking her head, she got up, pulling up the kimono around her when it sagged off her shoulders. "I…I've got to go. I'll see you in the afternoon for training, okay?" Without waiting for his answer, Amaya ran out of his room, trying to uselessly contain her heat.

Once the demoness reached her room, she locked the door behind her and dove under the bed, in her cougar form. Her heat overcame her senses, but not before she had the chance to shield her room and herself in a thick spell barrier so that no one could hear her screams.

o / o / o / o

Sesshomaru sighed, yet again, internally as he listened to the other lords speak their problems. The newly assigned North Lord, Kouga, had been discussing about a mysterious demon he hadn't seen before roaming around his country. Luckily, the guards managed to kill it off. The other lords had the same issue too, and they also killed them off. The demons seemed to be a cross between multiple bug demons and some other kind of demon, though it was unknown. Sesshomaru had reported that he hadn't seen anything in his lands, but he would keep a hard lookout for them. The other Lords and Ladies agreed upon those terms.

As the meeting started to dwindle down a little bit, the dog demon himself started to drift off and think about what had happened now almost 2 weeks ago with Amaya. She had run off on him, the slight hint of excitement lingering in the air as she left his room. He had thought he'd done something wrong, and therefore scowled at himself for whatever the reason may have been. The cougar demoness kept herself in her room for the rest of the day and throughout the afternoon, making her training lessons cancelled, despite promising—sort of—to him that she would see him again.

And when he tried to go into her room, Chie had interrupted him by saying that Amaya was playing with the children. Her words were true, and every time he didn't see her with the children, she was either in her room or at the dojo training herself. He was confused on why she would go around her words to train with him and instead train herself. Not that he thought she was undertrained; in fact, she could match easily up to him in strength and speed from what he has seen the few times he's gone looking for her. The few times they would train together, he could see how amazingly agile she was, and how physically strong she was too.

That was another thing that baffled his intelligent mind. It seemed as if he was becoming uncontrollably attracted to her unusual manor and actions throughout the uncommon times he's seen her. One minute she was happy and loving towards the children while playing with them, the next she was almost solitary and sullen while training herself.

_'A weird woman she is. One that is becoming harder to figure out. I wonder why she hasn't talked or even greeted this Sesshomaru-'_

"Lord Sesshomaru." Kouga's voice broke the demon lord out of his thoughts. He glared at the wolf demon coldly. Kouga took the hint and continued. "Do you still wish to attend the demonic ball tomorrow?"

He had almost dismissed the thought many months ago, but kept it as a little piece of mind to hold onto just in case times like this came up. He folded his finely manicured claws and nodded a short 'yes'. Kouga gave him a proud winked at him. "Don't worry, man. There's going to be more than enough females to satisfy you. Hell, you may even find your true mate-"

Suddenly, two voices came down the hallway, before the children burst through the door, Hayato being in his cheetah form chasing Rin, who was almost drenched in water and mud. "You can't catch me, brother!"

"Get back here, Rin! I need to tag you!" Hayato said chirping in happiness.

"RIN AND HAYATO!" Speak of the devil; Amaya skidded to a halt at the doorway, her fur coat markings glowing a gray hue, meaning she was both happy and angry at the same time. She was panting heavily, like she had ran around Sesshomaru's lands and hadn't taken a break. Her paws weren't muddy like Hayato's, but she did clean them while she stood there. "Rin and Hayato, Lord Sesshomaru is in a meeting here. We can't disturb him for too long."

Only then did realization hit the kids. Rin stopped dead in her tracks, causing Hayato to skid into her back. Both of their eyes were wide with child playfulness and shock. Amaya cleared her throat and bowed. "I apologize for our disruptions, Lords and Ladies"

"It is no big deal, honey" The Lady of the East, Azumi, said politely. "I'm sure the children and you didn't mean to pop in."

Amaya smiled, her tail swishing back and forth on the tile floor. She went to speak when another, more aggressive and cold voice interrupted her. "Pray tell, Lord Sesshomaru, do you keep such an insolent pest like my daughter here in your castle?"

A snarl fought up her throat when she heard that haunting voice. Her ears flattened against her head, the fur on her back and neck rising till they looked like needles, and her eyes turned a shade between her normal mahogany purple and an amber yellow color. "_Father." _She spat out the snarl very harshly.

Lord of the proud Southern Lands, Hotashi was one of the most aggressive yet respectfully the smartest demon lords in the history of Lord and Ladies of the Southern Lands. His rich black hair was tied very low at his mid-back. His clothing consisted of a red and purple kimono with a cream brown under kimono, with his black hakama and boots. His eyes were sharp carmine red that easily reminded Amaya of the merciless hanyou, Naraku. He had the family's traditional facial markings too; only they were a yellow brownish color instead of Amaya's black markings. His forehead marking, a deep violet blue raindrop, signified to all that he was the dominant male of his family at the moment.

Hotashi gave her a cold smirk. "Pest, why do you live upon Sesshomaru. Has he assigned himself a slave finally to do his dirty work?"

Her eyes flashed yellow, but quickly turned back to the mid colors. "Don't you dare speak of Lord Sesshomaru like that, you monster! He has given me and my son the home we need. But, how would you know? You live the lazy life as the Lord of the South."

All the Lords and Ladies gasped in shock at her cold action; everyone except Sesshomaru. Hotashi growled, his eyes turning a deeper red black color as he advanced towards her. Amaya would not go down in submission to him, Sesshomaru realized. Blood would be shed upon the eyes of everyone, including the children.

Without really thinking through it, Sesshomaru stepped in front of Amaya, shielding her with his form. Before Hotashi had time to counter him, Sesshomaru gave him a powerful and cold glare, stronger than his own. "You shall cease your pathetic attempts to harm the Princess of the Southern Lands, Hotashi." Sesshomaru himself had little to no respect for the older wolf demon. He was relentless in his actions and didn't really think twice once he made a decision he consider smart and necessary for everyone.

During the early stages of Naraku's attacks, Hotashi had tried to encourage all of the Lords and Ladies to fire an all out attack on Naraku'sfortress. Back then, all the demons rulers, including Sesshomaru himself, didn't know where the hanyou's location had been. Sesshomaru had sternly explained that the act of even trying to locate the half-demon was stupid and completely selfish. The other two Lords and their Ladies had quickly agreed upon it, giving their points and reasons to it as well. From that day forth in many other meetings, Hotashi held his embarrassment against Sesshomaru in a constant internal duel to see who was dominant. Sesshomaru, ironically enough, always won.

"Why should I even consider that pest a _princess_? She is nothing but a mere _runt_ and a weak link to the tree that should've never existed." Hotashi growled lowly, still glaring at Amaya, who had brought the front half of her body out from behind Sesshomaru's legs. She glanced up at Sesshomaru, to see his eyes turning a tint of red. However, it vanished just as quickly.

"I suggest you watch your words, Hotashi." Sesshomaru warned, his voice not wavering in any kind of way. "You shall leave Amaya alone, or suffer the consequences." Something in his voice grew so unexpectedly cold, that caused all of the demons—even the children—to feel a death crawl down their spines. Hotashi took the warning seriously and backed down once more to the 'Killing Perfection'.

"Very well." He spat, turning on his heels and walked out of the meeting room. When all was silence again, Amaya finally let out a sigh.

"Thanks, Lord Sesshomaru." She said, noticing that his demeanor relaxed just a tiny bit. Walking over to the children, she licked both Rin and Hayato on the cheek, sniffing them to check if they were okay. "No bruises?"

"No bruises." They said rather proudly. Amaya rolled her eyes mentally. Nudging them on the side, she started to guide them to the door.

"Wait, Amaya." Azumi's voice sung with mischievousness. A chill ran down her neck to her tail, causing it to twitch violently. Oh, how she did not miss that woman when something came to her mind! "You still haven't given us an answer."

"And what may that answer be for, Lady Azumi?" Amaya pushed out, forcing herself not to show her anxiety to everyone; even if they could still sense it.

"The ball, my darling! Aren't you coming to the ball this following day? It's going to be simply wonderful and I believe you could use the relaxation and time, Amaya." Azumi said with a mature giggle. Being the only Lady of the East right now, Azumi tried to be both dangerous and kind to everyone. And when she suggested something to someone, saying 'no' was like giving her your will. Amaya may have not known the phoenix demoness very much, but one encounter with her at the Southern Castle when she was younger was all she needed to map out Azumi's unusually twisted humor.

"Well…I don't know, Lady Azumi. I was never invited to the grand ball when I was a cub, so why should I be now? Besides, I have the children to take care of, and that's far more important than going to a _dance._" Amaya shivered visibly when she mentioned the word 'dance'. If placing on a beautiful dress was bad enough, Amaya—above all else—hated dancing. She considered herself not graceful enough to take the steps of a simple waltz. The cougar never took the proper dancing lessons when she was younger, making her pretty clumsy.

Azumi's smirk got even wider. Sesshomaru felt a prickle of suspicion float through his mind. _'What does that bird do to this Sesshomaru's guest?'_ He thought, his eyes narrowing when she wiggled a finger in the air.

"The kids are more than welcome to come with, Amaya! Don't tell me you forgot it's also for the younglings to enjoy one another's company." Amaya felt an invisible brick wall slam down on her head in realization. But it didn't stop there. "You can trust the maids and other servants to watch over them throughout the evening." A second one fell. "That way, you'll have time for finding a dress," A third "have time to grab something to eat," A fourth "do a few dances or two" A fifth "_And," _Azumi paused, noticing the cougar shaking rather hard and her tail twitch even more violently than before. "you'll be able to see your brother, Haruko!" the final wall fell on her and she yowled out in surrender.

"FINE! I'LL GO! YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING—" Amaya pushed the children out of the room, muttering low words that shocked all the males in the room, including Sesshomaru. The demon lord looked at the triumphed phoenix demon.

"You are one screwed up woman." He sighed, before heading out to stop Amaya's rant.

Meanwhile, Amaya was still raging as she took the children to their rooms. They were worried about her attitude now. It was so different from what it had been only a few hours prior.

"Um…Mama?" Rin squeaked out. That seemed to break the cougar out of her cursing and make her come back to reality. Amaya looked at Rin, seeing her somewhat scared expression, and felt guilt wash over her. She sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. Mama's just…not ready to face something so fancy and un-_me_. I apologize if I scared you both."

"It's okay, Ma." Hayato smiled, trying to cheer up his adopted mother. "I think it would be fun for all of us. Wouldn't you be happy if you had the chance to see your brother again?"

_'He does have a very valid point there.'_ Amaya reminded herself. More than anything, she had missed her eldest brother. They had done everything together whenever he had the time off from being the prince. Those times, he was just her brother; nothing more, nothing less. Smiling at the memory, Amaya continued to guide the children into their room. After staying in the castle for a week, Hayato and Rin decided to sleep in the same room, just in case Rin got spooked and needed someone close by to give her comfort.

Amaya entered the room, smiling contently when Rin ran to her bed, Hayato not too far behind her. "Hey! You two still need a bath to get all that…gunk off." Amaya gestured with her tail at their clothing and the mud sticking their hair up. "Come along, I promised before that I would help you guys. We need to get ready for the ball soon. I would think we'll be leaving today."

"Yay!" They chorused happily, running towards the bathroom. She laughed and followed them, changing into her other form with every step. When she reached the screen, she pulled it open, revealing her naked self. Hayato and Rin had already stripped down and jumped into the hot spring. She chuckled as she guided herself into the water too, sighing softly when her body warmed up.

"Alright, Hayato you stand behind Rin but in front of me. We'll be able to get this done a lot quicker, okay?" She instructed, grabbing the oils on the side of the spring's smooth rocky edge.

"Hai, Ma!" He grinned, grabbing Rin by the waist and lifting her up, causing her to squeal and laugh.

_'A wise son I have raised.'_ She thought with a smirked. Hayato was more mature than most male demons, especially since last week was the same week he underwent a battle with his hormones. She had to stay in the room with him, but escort a worried Rin out. If any other female had been in the room, Hayato's attitude and concentration would've changed for the worse. However, Hayato was a fast learner and controlled his demon almost as quickly as Sesshomaru can; or even her for that matter! But he still had a long way to go for the time being.

Amaya washed with firm hands down on Hayato's half white, half black hair. The mud easily washed off without any problems. She watched as the cheetah demon softly ran his hair through Rin's growing hair, making sure not to cut open her head with his claws. "How are you doing Hayato?"

"I feel better than last week, Ma. Thank you. Sorry if I scared you and Rin." Hayato said. Rin dunked under the water to rinse off the suds before coming back up.

"Rin forgives Hayato. Because Rin loves Hayato!" Rin giggled, turning around and hugging Hayato tightly. Amaya smirked when her son blushed a hard red, quickly followed by his eyes turning a tint of yellow. _'I can't help him on this for long. Besides, I think this was going to happen eventually.' _She thought, chuckling when Hayato timidly wrapped his arms around Rin's small form, squeezing her close. Out of the corner of his mostly covered face, Amaya could see a smile floating on his lips.

"If you two lovebirds are done," She said, breaking the moment teasingly. "I suggest we get ready for the afternoon." She couldn't help but laugh a little when both young teens blushed hard, pulling away like they were caught on fire. "Come along, you two"

"H-Hai!" They stammered, getting out of the springs quickly to be dried off by her. Rin wrapped her towel around her chest, while Hayato wrapped his around his torso. Once they were completely dried, they went back into their room and got dressed. Rin dressed herself in a beautiful cardinal red kimono that shaded down to a pale orange color. White small puffs of flakes scattered on the kimono as the design with a orange obi wrapped around Rin's waist. Her smile was wide with excitement and happiness. "Ma, it's so pretty!" she exclaimed. She turned to see Amaya getting dressed in her own kimono. "Did you make this?"

Secretly, Amaya had left the castle to Gen Village a few nights prior, making sure to get there before the sun had arisen. She had gone just to see the other children and the seamstresses on the kimonos she had been making before Sesshomaru told her to come and live with him.

She nodded with a smile. "Hai, but it was the seamstresses' work that made that kimono right-"

Before she could say anything else, Rin slammed up against her, hugging her waist tightly. "Thank you, Mama! I love it so much! Thank you! And Rin thanks the seamstresses too!" Rin said happily into Amaya's kimono.

"You're most welcome, dear." She said, patting Rin on the head. When Rin pulled away, Amaya finished placing on her—what she calls 'casual'—pale pink white kimono with red flowers scattered on the upper part of the dress. The hakama itself was a purple red color, easily matching her eyes. She tied her short hair up into a loose bun with a red ribbon.

Turning to look at her adopted son, Hayato had placed on a navy blue kimono with white along the sleeve edges. His hakama was a black, as were his boots. Even though it may have been very ordinary, Hayato somehow always looked either cute or handsome in a kimono, regardless of its color.

"You two go on and spend some time in the fields. Hayato, when the guards come to get you two, be ready. Understand?"

"Hai, Ma!" He said, grabbing Rin's hand and running out of the room with her. Amaya shook her head at their eagerness to get back out into the open.

The cougar demoness walked out of the room shortly after she sensed the children outside. Looking around the hallway, she saw no sign of life whatsoever.

"Cougar."

She gasped, whirling around to narrowly scratch Sesshomaru's face. Had he not been extremely quick in the first place, she more than likely would've raked off half of his face. "You jerk!" She growled, pulling herself together as he felt his face. When he pulled his hand away, blood lightly colored it. He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"You should watch where you scratch, cat." He said.

"Well, you shouldn't sneak up behind me like that again. Dumbass" She cursed under her breath, not really caring if he heard her. Changing the subject, Amaya asked, "Why are you here?"

"I've come to see if you are well." He spoke straight-forwardly, his voice not really giving any care.

"I'm just fine, Sesshomaru. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some training to do before we leave." Amaya said, walking away from him. She was suddenly halted by a firm grip on her wrist. She glared at him. "Let go, Sesshomaru." She ordered.

His eyes hardened up even more. "Don't give me directions, cat. It is the other way around. And I will not let you go until you tell me why you've been avoiding me all this time." When she tried to pull away, his grip only got tighter. "Tell me."

"You wouldn't understand in the first placek" She said rather tartly, still pulling away.

"Tell mek"

"No!"

"Tell mek" His voice kept getting deeper with every word he said.

"You can't make me do such things, Sesshomaru! What makes you think you know every—"

"AMAYA, TELL ME NOW OR ELSE I'LL FORCE IT OUT OF YOU!" He snarled loudly. It echoed down the hall as if they were in a cave.

Amaya was very startled and even a little scared at his order. It shook through her, bringing back memories when her father used that kind of voice, only it was to explain how useless she was to the world. The air between them grew very silence, causing Amaya to bow her head at his intense gaze.

"Please…tell me, Amaya. Did this Sesshomaru do something wrong to you—"

"No!" She shouted, but quickly lowered her tone. Amaya shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, none of it will ever be your fault except…except…" She trailed off, her words obviously getting stuck in her throat.

The hand on her wrist let go, trailing up her arm until it stopped at her cheek. She looked at him. He leaned down, till their breaths were mingling in the air as once. "Tell me." he whispered.

She felt the pains stirred from within herself, but she held them down. "I'm scared of admitting something deep, Sesshomaru. Plus, I'm scared that you'll think I'm a whore if I…" She paused, then started again. "if I tried looking for a mate at the party."

Amaya looked up to see Sesshomaru wide eyed at her. _'Well this is weird.'_ She thought to herself. When his eyes lowered, he pulled her close into an embrace, causing her to gasp out in surprise. "Wha?" She tried to say, but was stopped mid-sentence when the demoness saw him smile.

A smile that was filled with compassion and not death.

"You think of such low things of yourself when they will never be true, Amaya." He said, even his voice silkier than before. It made the feline feel hot all over inside, especially her lower regions; and her heart. "I'm sure you'll find the one whom will protect you forever with his heart." Amaya didn't miss the very vague flicker of hurt in his eyes. Was he upset about something?

Smiling back at him reassuringly, she hugged him closer. She took in his variety of scents that resembled him and only him. "Thank you, Sesshomaru." Was all she said, not wanting the rest to come out; _'But I think I have found that person already. And he is one you would surely accept; proudly.'_

Pulling away from her, Sesshomaru held out his arm to her. His face went back to emotionless, but the cougar could still pick out a hint of friendliness in his eyes. "Shall we, princess?"

She laughed outright at his sudden change in personality. _'Reminds me of Hayato sometimes. I guess this isn't so bad either.'_ Amaya thought. Playing along, she dove into a low curtsy. "We shall, sir." Amaya said, before getting up and wrapping her arm into his. Together, they walked down the hallway, Amaya strolling a little closer than intended. But she didn't mind.

And neither did Sesshomaru.

When they neared the doors to outside, Sesshomaru placed on his ice face again while dropping his arm, but not letting go of Amaya's hand. She smiled lightly at his warmth flowing into her arm. She giggled when she saw Rin and Hayato waiting for them, their eyes bright with happiness and excitement. Rin let go of Hayato's hand and hugged Sesshomaru's pant leg. "Sesshomaru and Mama look so beautiful tonight!"

Amaya laughed, bending down carefully to swoop up Rin in her arms. "Yes, but I believe my handsome Hayato and majestic Rin are even prettier." She whispered in her ear, despite knowing Sesshomaru could easily hear her. Rin blushed red and grinned widely.

"Thank you Mama!" She said, hugging Amaya around her neck before jumping down to the ground. Amaya watched her adopted son bow his head and held his hand out for Rin to take. Rin giggled again and curtsied, letting one of her hands into his. The cougar demoness couldn't help but notice how perfect they actually looked together.

"You've taught our boy well." Sesshomaru's deep voice broke her thoughts. She blushed a light pink. _'Our boy…'_ She thought, her heart floating at the thought of having Sesshomaru's pups and kits. However, those ideas disappeared when she thought of the outcome. _'He could never consider having a mixed kin. They would probably be too weak for his liking.'_ Amaya frowned at the upsetting thought.

**Sorry if it was a little quick this time! More to come on chapter 10, where Amaya will learn the ways of a ball. And meet someone new…**


	10. Darkened Stormclouds

**Here's Chapter 10, folks! Thanks for the reviewing, hope there's more l) This chapter will uncover a newer enemy; one that will leave you questioning and curious for later chapters (I hope) l). **

**Enjoy!**

Previous:

"_You've taught our boy well." Sesshomaru's deep voice broke her thoughts. She blushed a light pink. _'Our boy…' _She thought, her heart floating at the thought of having Sesshomaru's pups and kits. However, those ideas disappeared when she thought of the outcome._ 'He could never consider having a mixed kin. They would probably be too weak for his liking.' _Amaya frowned at the upsetting thought._

* * *

Sesshomaru sniffed the air and smelt Amaya's disappointment. He was confused, glancing at her to see the beautiful demoness frowning, her eyes glazed over in thought and held back tears. _'She is upset of something.'_ He thought. Wrapping his hand in her and squeezing it, he felt her calm down and look up at him. She forced out a smile at him. "I am well, Lord Sesshomaru. I was just thinking."

"Thinking of something that upset you." He stated blandly. Her face showed the look of being caught. He smiled quickly. "Come." She obeyed him, letting him guide her outside. When she saw the sight in front of her she gasped.

A beautiful horse drawn carriage laid out for them, with two massive horses—both black with white haired legs—strapped up to the carriage. The carriage itself was made out of maple wood and various amount of metal products that were available in the Feudal Era. Like the carriage, the horses were handsomely dressed up and ready for departure.

"Oh Kami, it's breathtaking!" Amaya managed to speak again. Sesshomaru chuckled at her reaction, proud to say the least at it too. The carriage was big enough to carry up to eight people, four on each side in the inside. Since he was bringing a few of his best servants with, he had another carriage very similar to the first one behind it. One of the guards, Yuski, opened the door for them.

"My Lady, your ride." Yuski said, bowing deeply. She blushed a tomato red and started fidgeting, clearly nervous.

"But…I'm not—" Before she had the chance to finish, Sesshomaru bent down and picked her up bridal style. Amaya yelped at the sudden difference and instinctively grabbed onto Sesshomaru's white kimono. He held back a heated groan as he felt her sharp claws dig into his outfit and skin. _'She'll be the early death of me.'_ he thought, forcing down his inner demon from taking control.

He stepped inside the carriage, sitting down as Hayato and Rin hopped in as well. Yuski closed the door once everyone was in and gave orders to the drivers. Sesshomaru felt Amaya pull away from his grasp, however he stopped her by placing a firmer grip on her waist. Only when she finally gave in did he allow her out of his grip, slightly.

A whip was heard, followed by the carriage being pulled forward by the powerful horses. Rin and Hayato practically attached themselves to the windows to watch the scenery pass by. Rin gasped and pointed outside. "Look, Mama! There's the flower field!"

"Yes, love. They seem to glitter with joy in the afternoon light, huh?" Amaya said, her eyes lighting up when she smiled. Sesshomaru couldn't stop himself from staring at her for many seconds before she caught him looking at her. He looked away, his face never giving anything away.

"Ma, do you think the Grand Ball will have fields like Sesshomaru's?" Hayato asked, smiling when Rin leaned back against his chest. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at their closeness.

Amaya chuckled, doing the same thing against Sesshomaru. "Who knows? Maybe Sesshomaru's flower fields and forests are far too beautiful to even comprehend with others." she teased. Sesshomaru let out a growl of annoyance from his throat. This caused them to laugh. _'This cat is everything one could want. And I want her for myself…as my mate.'_ He gave in to the fact. Amaya had captured his cold heart and melted faster than any female—or person for that matter—did in the past.

After six hours of non-stop travelling, the horses were halted for a rest. The servants sat next to the road, stretching their sleeping limps and sore muscles. Rin and Hayato ran happily in the grass field that sat on the side of the dirt road. Amaya and Sesshomaru watched them with alerted gazes.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hn."

"Thank you."

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow and waiting for her to continue. Amaya breathed in and started once more. "Thank you for everything that you have done so far for me and Hayato. Never in my long years have I seen a teen like him so happy. He has a sister, a mother…" she paused, looking at him with love-filled eyes. "…and a father, all of whom he cares about and they to him. After his own parents were killed, he hasn't had a whole lot of creatures to even trust. I may have been there as his new mother, but he needed a father. And I think you have accepted that role when you saved his life all those weeks ago. You're the first male demon he can look to for help and guidance."

Sesshomaru held her gaze for several heartbeats before pulling away and staring out at who he secretly considered as his own son. "He has done well in the castle. Even for a hanyou." He said blandly, not wanting his voice to let out his feelings. However, he knew that she knew he cared for the cheetah hanyou. The wind blew through his silvery hair, lifting it up from his waist.

The dog demon suddenly sensed her scent spike up in fear and disbelief. He looked to see her shaking slightly. "No… I thought… it can't be…"

"Amaya, what is wrong?" Sesshomaru asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, feeling her body trembling still. She shook her head and somewhat sobered up abruptly.

"I thought I smelled someone very familiar..." She whispered softly enough for him only to hear. Amaya shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Maybe it was my imagination."

"Your imagination has swung back and surprised you and I multiple times. If you sensed something, it was no joke." he said firmly.

Amaya sighed, walking into the grass. "Then I must investigate. The presence could be dangerous for the children." She explained, her face going serious as she walked into the meadow.

"Then I shall assist." He confirmed coldly. Turning around, he ordered the servants to keep a watchful eye on Hayato and Rin. They bowed in response.

Sesshomaru heard Amaya change into her cougar form behind his back, shaking to ruffle out her fur. The dog demon observed her as she balanced on her hind feet, her front paws pressed up against her chest. From his knowledge, any type of feline species in the bakeneko family could walk or stand like a human without much difficulty. Many of which, including Amaya's family tree, had amazingly unique abilities that varied on the bakeneko. It was no real surprise that her form, the cougar, was highly intelligent and cunning in stealth hunting.

She tilted her head up and took in a long, deep inhale of the air, her mouth open and her nose flaring. With a slow exhale, Amaya opened her eyes and pointed with one of her paws to the northeast, towards a thick forest, but slightly off from the direction to the Grand Ball Palace. "I smell the presence in that forest. Come on." Without another word, the bakeneko dropped to all fours and started running away from Sesshomaru. He didn't hesitate in following her scent of spicy hibiscuses and cherries.

Sesshomaru knew she was quick for a cougar, but she was faster than he had judged, even for a demoness that lost the majority of her powers when she was just a cub. He wasn't saying he was having a hard time keeping up, but her years of training and improving herself clearly showed through her muscles contracting and releasing with every breath she took, every time she leapt from a high place or long distance, or when she ran harder. The two of them seemed to blow with the wind across the meadow with their agility. _'This Sesshomaru would not mind doing this more.'_ He thought with a internal smirk.

When they reached the forest's edge, Amaya chirped as she started to slow down. He took her order and did the same. At a full stop, he could detect a very faint aura deep in the forest, it's presence obviously disturbing Amaya and even his inner demon. "It seems to be waiting for us. We must be on high alert." Amaya said, looking up at him for his opinion. Sesshomaru just nodded in agreement and followed her into the forest.

It was like a door had slammed shut behind them. Almost instantly, the taiyoukai felt the forest around him and nothing outside of it. He had a hard time even feeling out Amaya's presence because it felt so faint through the thickness of darkness. Luckily, she stayed within it sight, a couple of yards ahead of him.

She looked back at him, her eyes calm, but her pupils were larger than normal. "You okay, Sesshomaru?"

He nodded, forcing away the scents and auras of the forest and only focus on hers and the one they were searching for. "Where to now, Amaya?"

She looked around them, closing her eyes and perking her ears up to their highest. She stayed still for a full minute, which seemed like an hour to him, before she caught the sound of something. Her ears flip to and fro, causing Amaya to shake her head viciously. "This way." She said, breaking into a trot-like motion. He walked beside her, confused as of why he didn't hear anything.

When the trees seemed like they would go on forever, they broke away abruptly into a very small clearing of grass. Amaya stopped again, her eyes going wide. Her body started shaking violently, her lips curling upwards, showing her deadly fangs. Then, just as it all started, it ended just as quickly, her body going still like a statue.

"What's wrong, Amaya?" Sesshomaru questioned, glancing side to side for any hiding enemies.

Before she could reply, the bakeneko was sent flying into a tree, splitting it in half like a twig. She yowled in pain, hitting the ground with a hard 'thud'. Groaning, she tried getting up, but someone—_something_—attacked her again. It was far too fast for him to even begin with, as he watched her shoulder be bitten by a large shadowy creature. Screaming, she started bucking her hips like a rampaging bull, trying to get whatever was impaling her shoulder off. With a loud snarl, Amaya jumped to the closest large object, which happened to be a hundred year old tree. The cougar spun on her forepaws and began crushing the shadow against the thick trunk roughly. Every impact to the bark, Sesshomaru could hear bones breaking, not knowing whose bones they were though.

Having enough, the taiyoukai summoned his acid into his claws, the poison dripping from his fingertips. With one flick of his wrist, the strings of acid snapped towards the shadow.

Amaya, seeing this, placed all of her strength in one more thrust and managed to backlash—with a powerful kick of her hind legs—the shadow off of her shoulder. She threw it off just as Sesshomaru lashed his acid claws out at her. Jumping aside for extra caution, she caught a quick look at the shadow being practically ripped apart. She winced when the creature fell to the ground, landing on its side. "Nice…job…Sesshomaru…" Amaya huffed from the pain in her ribs. She turned around and felt her blood stop cold.

Lord Sesshomaru wasn't anywhere in sight. In fact, nothing was in sight; just darkness and her.

The cougar felt a shiver run up her spine as a evil twisted laugh echoed through the stilled air. Snarling and looking around frantically, she called out, "Where the hell are you, you low excuse for life?"

_"Oh, is that any way to speak to the one who shall kill you?"_ The voice purred from behind her. Amaya yowled when she felt something sharp stab her side. She pulled away and hissed when she saw her side dripping with blood. Her markings turned as black as the darkness around her and Amaya roared in fury.

"Come out and quit acting like a coward!" She snarled, her voice echoing off into the empty distance. Sizzling noises floated around Amaya, making her shake her head in annoyance. A figure of lighter black clouded up in front of her. It lifted its head and opened its eyes.

But they weren't eyes. They were dull, pearl-shaped orbs of white nothingness.

Fear coiled tighter in the demoness's stomach as the creature shaped into what was closed to a wolf. It tilted its head back farther, opening its mouth to show sharp fangs, taking in Amaya's fear.

_"Hmmm…delicious…"_ It hummed. The creature started circling Amaya's form, seemingly getting closer. _"You are riper than I thought, kit. Oh, how I've waited for so long to do this…however," _it got close enough that Amaya nearly threw up from smelling its disgusting, decaying breath. _"my quest will not end so easily. I'll have everything to myself and rule these lands, once I've finished you; and the ones you love…"_ the shadow's voice faded off, as did its form.

o / o / o / o

Amaya gasped loudly, her body jolting upwards as if she had been holding her breath underwater for a long time. She then realized that she was back in her humanoid form; and Sesshomaru was standing over her, holding her in his one arm.

"Amaya! You're alive." He breathed, his shoulders visibly sagging in relief.

"Wha…What are you talking about, Sesshomaru? I was standing in the exact same spot, wasn't I?" Amaya coughed out, still breathing hard.

Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, you vanished right before my eyes, like you were covered in some sort of invisible barrier. I couldn't sense you or smell you out. You were gone for almost thirty minutes, Amaya."

_'That can't be!'_ Amaya thought wildly. _'I was in the same spot through everything. Was I…was I simply dreaming?'_ Sesshomaru's voice stopped her thoughts for a second. "You then popped back into the clearing, motionless and not breathing. You were like that for another ten minutes…" he trailed off, pulling her closer to his chest. "I thought you were gone for good, my Amaya." he whispered into her ear, his voice not giving a lot away though.

But that wasn't necessary. She felt his worry, and he was happy again when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry Sesshomaru. I didn't mean to frighten you so badly. Can you forgive me?" She pulled away, looking into his deep amber eyes.

"Hai." He said, leaning down till her forehead touched his. He could feel her living heat flow off of her body in radiating beauty. He had feared that she had been dead, which sent him into a semi-mourning state, something he never knew he would ever experience in his long years of lordship.

Amaya reluctantly pulled away from him and transformed into her cougar form, stretching out her bruised shoulders. "We need to get back. I'm sure Hayato, Rin and everyone else is concern about our location."

"Hn." He nodded in agreement. She started walked but stopped, looking back at him and smiled shyly.

"You know, I've haven't seen you in your demon form in a long time. I think it would be nice to run with you one of these days." She declared, her cheeks glowing a faint red under her fur.

"Maybe someday…" Was all he said before heading back to the field. Amaya's ears folded back sadly as she followed his footsteps.

The whole way back was silence, and it was nerve-racking to Amaya. She felt stupid for mentioning his demon form, and even more for making him upset about it. _'Why can't I do something right for once in my damn life!'_ She grumbled to herself.

As they walked out of the forest, Amaya couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. Stopping at the forest edge, she couldn't sense anything behind her, not even that evil shadow creature. But, those words it said before in her "dream" came back hauntingly; _'I'll have everything to myself and rule these lands, once I've finished you; and the ones you love…'_A shiver ran up her spine again, but she shook it off.

_'That monster will not have her victory. Not on my four lives.'_ She thought.

"Amaya!" Rin's voice called out in the distance.

"We're coming, Rin!" She yowled out, her call easily reaching to the others. Looking over at Sesshomaru, who had raised an eyebrow, she smirked. "Can you keep up?" She purred, and then sped off into the meadow.

Not even five minutes passed, and Amaya reached the carriages. To her dismay though, Sesshomaru had already gotten there first. Puffing her cheeks out, she growled. "Show off." She said.

He chuckled. His chuckle made her stomach do flips. _'Sesshomaru should laugh and smile more often. It makes him a better person.'_ Hopping into the carriage after him, Amaya purred as she laid her upper body in his lap. Her ears flickered when she heard Rin and Hayato climb in.

"Ma, what happen to you? You look all rough up." Hayato said, his voice edgy with concern.

She lifted her tail and tapped it on his nose, causing him to giggle. "Let's just say a trunk and I had a very disagreeing argument." She said, half lying to her adopted son.

He laughed fully. "That's really sad, Ma. Maybe I can learn some lessons from you." This caused her to hit in a little harder on the head with her tail before pointing it in his face.

"Watch it, mister, cause that can be dangerous." Amaya teased, not even glancing at her son as she stared out into the meadow passing by. That's when she saw multiple tiny raindrops hit the window in light layers. Soon, however, it grew more into a light drizzle, the water slithering down the glass to the muddy trail. The hypnotic pelting around them caused Rin and Hayato to drift off into a light snooze, while making Amaya fall into a deep meditation, her eyes glazed over.

Sesshomaru himself was also in a meditation state. He, for the first time in a long time, felt completely relaxed among other creatures, especially a hanyou such as Hayato. He enjoyed his "family's" company. It soothed him farther into a sleeping state.

**Kinda of a stupid ending, but it'll come back in the next chapter! I'm heading to VA for the week, so I'm unsure if I'll be able to upload at all. Until next time with Chapter 11! Review please!**


	11. Arrival and Encountering Kin

**Terribly sorry about the one-week hiatus! Some reason the laptop I was using was being an ass so I couldn't upload any stories. Then again, I was hardly on the computer, considering I was having so much fun, so don't be too pissed off please!**

**This is Chapter 11 and I will upload another chapter up soon~**

**Enjoy!**

Previous:

_Sesshomaru himself was also in a meditation state. He, for the first time in a long time, felt completely relaxed among other creatures, especially a hanyou such as Hayato. He enjoyed his "family's" company. It soothed him farther into a sleeping state._

* * *

The sound of the carriage coming to a halt awakened the demon lord. It also woke up Hayato and Amaya, but Rin still slept on in Hayato's lap. When the door opened, the sound of rain still fell outside.

"My Lady and My Lord, we have arrived." The driver said, bowing in the rain. As they climbed out, Amaya turned to him and bowed respectfully back.

"Thank you so much, sir. Do please go get washed up and I hope to meet you at the Ball." She said with a purr of friendship. The driver blushed and nodded shyly.

"Y-Yes my Lady. Thank you." He bowed one more time before hopping back up and directing the horses into their stalls.

"That was nice of you, Ma." Hayato commented. Amaya purred louder as she shook out her fur from the rain when they got inside.

"Well, he did bring us to the Grand Ball so perfectly, I thought it would be nice for a fine young man to come to a fine party. He deserves it, I believe." Amaya voiced her opinion openly.

"And that is very lady-like and generous of you."

Amaya gasped in surprise as something heavy landed on her forehead. She crossed her eyes and looked up to see Azumi in her phoenix form. A glorious creature she was, for her feathers were a white so clear, it seemed to reflect all light around them. The tips of each one was lightly tipped with every color in the rainbow. Her beak, a rich mango orange, went exclusively with her brown eyes.  
The bird bent down and lightly pecked her head. "What's wrong, darling? Phoenix got your tongue?"

Amaya laughed, throwing her head forward and causing Azumi to land on her back and staring up at Amaya now. She grinned teasingly. "I believe it's the other way around, Azuzu." She purred.

Azumi's face turned a shade red at that, and the fact that some of the other entering demons started laughing. However, after a moment, she started laughing too. "Good one, darling. Now let me up." She chirped.

Rolling her eyes, Amaya bent down and scooped Azumiup onto her head again. When she was balanced out on her talons, Azumi pointed a direction and squawked out, "Onward, Amaya! I have much to teach you in a short amount of time."

Amaya's right eye twitched in annoyance. Her shoulders and head sagged downwards, but made sure not to drop the white phoenix demoness. "Very well. But first," She turned around, looking at Rin's sleeping form in Hayato's arms. "Haya, let Chie take you and Rin upstairs to your guys' room and relax for a little bit. When Rin wakes up, you two can hang out with the other children outside or inside. Can you deal with that?"

"Yes, Ma. Enjoy your time!" He said over his shoulder, running to catch up with Chie and the other servants. Sesshomaru also looked at him, but she caught him off by speaking again.

"Sesshomaru, I may be a while. Um…" Amaya paused for a few seconds, shifting shyly. "I'll see you later?"

"Hn." He said and then he walked off.

Azumi looked at the fading form of Hayato, glanced down at Amaya, and smiled caringly, which wasn't what she was seconds ago. "You've made right choices Amaya. What Hotashi thought of you must be completely wrong."

"I'll never know, and I wouldn't like to know if my life depended on it." Amaya growled at the thought of her father. They entered the front hallway, Amaya walking slowly to glance over to the sides and take in the beautiful antique artworks and items. The Grand Ball Palace was truly magical to her, especially since it was her first time here.

"Yes, yes, I understand that. But think of this, sweetheart," Azumi craned her neck downward, eyeing Amaya as they walked. She smiled. "If Hotashi hadn't been so harsh and cold to you as a cub, you would've probably never met anyone you have encountered over your well-into 250 years of age. Sometimes bad things have to happen in order for the good to come out of things. Think of Hayato for example, or even Rin. I'm sure they've gone through hard times like you. But they've made it to the point in their life where they have a proud mother-figure and a father-figure. Don't _you_ think that's a perfect idea in someone's life?"

The question hung in the air, and Azumi didn't know that Amaya had stopped walking. The cougar brought her gaze down and stared at the ground. Her ears folded to the sides. "You're right, Azumi. I did obtained more than what I had started out with in life. I always thought I had to be the best to get someone's acceptance. That's all I ever wanted; acceptance. And I've gotten it countless of times, and I am glad for it. I guess for years, I've mainly wanted my father's acceptance. It doesn't matter now," She looked up and smiled at Azumi "I have my own kind of family. A family of close friends and acquaintances." _'And maybe something more with Sesshomaru…'_ She neglected to place in.

Azumi cooed in laughter, lifting her head and started giving directions to Amaya about the Grand Ball, changing the subject in their conversation as well. "Now, my darling, the Ball has been going on in the Feudal Lands since the ancient Lords and Ladies first stepped up to the rank. It resembles a time of peace, harmony, a sign for equality and acceptance of one another in some ways." Azumi said the last part with a soft coo-like scoff. "It was also a place for Lord and Ladies' heirs to interact with one another, for them to become friends as younglings and grow closer as they grow older. I remember when I was a simple fledgling I met all the new heirs, new lords and their mates, or the older ones at that."

A thought from Amaya caused her to interrupt Azumi. "Was Sesshomaru there?" Her voice seemed very eager for a positive answer.

Azumi smirked. "As a matter of fact, yes he was. But he was almost a century and a half older than I. He and I became secret friends." She bent down to whisper, "He didn't want to look soft about making a friend."

Amaya giggled. "Of course. We wouldn't want that." She teased. "Was his father there too?"

Azumi nodded sadly. "Aye. Bless that brave lord's soul. He rests in peace, I hope. I remember talking to him and another lord, who had a much high rank; the Emperor of the Lands, and his name was Isao."

"My great-grandpa?" Amaya was baffled, her eyes wide like saucer plates. "I thought he was just—"

"—The Lord of the Southern Lands?" Azumi chirped. "Of course he was. Isao was one of the wisest Lords in any record at the time; he still is and always will be."

"But earning such a rank like that is nearly impossible! Papa was a wonderful man…why didn't he tell me?" Amaya asked curiously. The white phoenix didn't miss the hurt in her voice.

"You were too young before, love. Besides, he has become only a myth to the Lords and Ladies today. He rarely, if ever, comes to the Grand Ball anymore. After the many assassination attempts by that pesky and disgusting bug-hanyou, Naraku." Azumi hissed, her body doubling in size by her puffed feathers.

"Why?" Amaya asked stupidly, which resulted in a hard peck on the ear by the white phoenix. "Ow! Is it because of his high rank?"

"Yes and no." Azumi scoffed. "It was because of who he was." When Amaya tilted her head, Azumi tried to make sense. "Isao is very intelligent and knows when to make the right choices. Naraku wanted such a force dead, knowing that people would be confused and even more scared. Plus, he wanted revenge. Naraku set out an offensive patrol, him in it, after the Northern Kingdom.

"Isao had gotten there just in time to fall into the battle, attacking Naraku straight on, who had been injured. He warned him many times before to stay off the Lands, but the hanyou never listened. The result was him nearly losing his life, had he not cunningly escape like the coward he was. Isao then was the main target back then, and now he hides in protection and only comes out when he has been called to." She chirped sadly, shaking her head. "Kami bless his soul and hope he is still alive and well. He was like a father to me."

"To all of us, that's for sure." Amaya purred in content. "He helped me through my abusive past."

"And he helped me through my daughter…" Azumi said before she could stop herself. Amaya looked up at her, narrowing her eyes.

"You have a daughter? I thought you didn't have any fledglings with your first mate." Amaya meowed in surprise. Azumi's fluffy cheeks turned a delicate pink. She shuffled her talons on the cougar demoness's head.

"I didn't." She said very flatly. "My mate, despite all the begging from his elders as Lord of the Eastern Lands, never wanted any chicks. He boasted on how chicks were a waste of time and that he didn't need an heir for the throne, saying that he would live forever and ever with me at his side. I hated him for that. It was around the time of his death that I fell out of love for him and in love for a servant demon by the name of…" Azumi stopped, her form shaking slightly in fear. Amaya guessed the phoenix was worried that she was going to be scowled at by her.

"You can tell me, Azu." She purred softly, allowing her down from above. She turned around and gazed at the cat worriedly. For an extra push to tell her, Amaya licked her on the head and—like a dog—wagged her tail.

Azumi laughed, but then grew serious again. "His name is Tadao. He was the early retired servant of the Southern Kingdoms from what I recall—" Azumi noticed Amaya was staring wide eyed at her. She cocked her head in confusion.

Then without warning, Amaya practically exploded in happiness, jumping up and down excitedly. "Oh Kami! Why didn't he tell me you were his mate? He always mentioned a beautiful bird that he fell in love with many years ago!" Amaya whispered, despite her excitement. Her tail wagged in the air with quick flicks here and there.

"Wait! You…you know Tadao?" Azumi said, somewhat flabbergasted. Amaya nodded her head vigorously, purring loudly.

"Aye. Before my eldest took me into hiding, Tadao was my servant. His brother, Naoki, was my mate. I was very close to Tadao as well, almost believing the crow demon as an elder brother to me. After my mate passed away, Tada promised me we would meet again someday. A time where we were happier and gone from our past problems. He was there with me when I had given birth, he was the one to tell me that Naoki was dead, and he served me proudly when I had been younger." Amaya smiled. "And he is more than perfect for you, Azumi. So it doesn't shock me at all that you fell for a man like them. But, I must ask, what is your fledgling's name?"

Azumi smiled proudly. "Her name is Aneko, and she is around the same age as you, if not a little younger. She is daring, mischievous, smart, and very pretty. You'll see her at the dance tonight." Azumi said. "Do you think…Tadao will be here tonight? I've not seen him for a while. He always wrote letters to me in apology, saying that he was forced to stay home."

"Of course he'll come!" Amaya exclaimed quietly. "Tada always told me he loved going to the Ball when I was little. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll see your mate again."

Azumi blushed again, but she smirked, a glint in her eyes making Amaya suddenly feel uncomfortable. "Same goes for you, only yours has been here since you've arrived. Sesshomaru will be most pleased with you at the dance, I guarantee that!"

The cougar demoness groaned, picked up the phoenix, and began again on the tour of the Grand Ball.

Azumi explained every from the tableware and utensils to the chandeliers that hung from many locations in the palace for the next half hour or so. All in all, Amaya was thoroughly impressed at the Ball; and at Azumi's knowledge. Her all-time favorite location was the upstairs attic, which had a balcony—like all the other bedrooms and ballrooms—that led up to the very top of the roof.

"Do you want to meet my daughter, Amaya? I think it's best if you make some friends tonight, kit." Azumi suggested humorously. Amaya chuckled, quickly nodding her head once.

"Good! Stay right here and I'll be back with her." With that, the phoenix took flight and disappeared through the doors of the main ballroom. Amaya sat down, looking around to take in the immense detail of everything. The room itself was like a huge circle, probably a hundred feet in diameter, enough room for both servants and demons to talk about. Five large and tall windows of glass stood erect behind her, allowing the warm sunlight in and onto her backside. The silk and hand-woven curtains of stark red and white vine-like designs were drawn away to their golden poles on each side of each window. The floor was a beautiful marble cream tile with various smaller quilt rugs to add in some more color. Amaya craned her head to look at the beautiful chandelier and decorations. The ceiling was painted a deeper blue with grey-white clouds, which went perfectly with the pale blue metal and white yellow candles. Down on her level, medium to large paintings of landscape and forests, giving the room a more calming demeanor.

Servants, waiters and waitresses quietly scattered about to finish up with the decorations and preparations on the food. She nodded and greeted each one equally and continued to wait.

Azumi came back, now in her humanoid form, with a young woman beside her. She was, like the phoenix had said before, quite pretty; not too much nor too little. Amaya smiled and transformed into her other form respectfully. Amaya couldn't help but notice how Aneko appeared almost a twin of Azumi, instead of being her daughter. Then again, she could distinctively pick out the traits of Tadao in and on her.

"Amaya" Azumi began, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "This is my daughter, Aneko. Aneko, this is Amaya."

Aneko bowed politely, her wavy auburn hair draping over her shoulders. "It's an honor to meet you, Miss Amaya" She said, coming back up with a smile. _'Well, she's full of surprises isn't she?'_ Amaya thought with a smirk. Raising a hand, she waved it off.

"Please, Princess Aneko, just Amaya. And the honor is all mine. I'm truly grateful to meet a fine woman as such." Amaya said very professionally. Aneko giggled, her hazel blue eyes dancing with amusement.

"Now, now, girls." Azumi smirked at the teasing. "You two are to get to know each other tonight. Aneko," She pointed a finger seriously at her daughter. "You need a friend with equal sense, not just servants. Amaya is the perfect choice. Plus, she too needs a friend like you. Please, just this once?" Azumi clasped her hands together and smiled.

"Fine." Aneko puffed out her cheeks stubbornly. Amaya raised an eyebrow, smiling at the action. When Azumi nodded and left quietly, Aneko looked at Amaya with narrowed eyes. "Are you siding with her?" She asked.

"I don't side in these kind of situations. If you can't accept me, then leave so that we don't fight for dominance." She said. Aneko straightened out some invisible wrinkles in her kimono, which was a beautiful golden yellow, white and red with tropical forest birds scattered about on it. Her obi was a light purple red, almost like Amaya's eyes.

"Sorry if I've bothered you." Aneko started to walk away, but Amaya tapped her shoulder lightly. She looked to see the demoness smiling kindly.

"Do you want to be my friend?" She asked. Aneko shuffled her feet and looked bravely at the older girl, nodding once.

"Hai. Will you let me be?"

"Of course. Now," Amaya stretched her arms out over her head. "How about you and I go exploring, huh?" The cougar smile widened when Aneko's eyes seemed to glow at the thought.

"Sure!"

**Review with comments please! I'm somewhat upset that I have so few :( Oh well. **

**Also, if anyone is wondering/confused about Amaya's age before (as well as Sesshomaru's) this proves how old she is. And yet, that isn't all that old in demon years; she's a young adult/older teenager. I'd place Sesshomaru around 500 years with Azumi being around 487 years old (just some numbers closely thrown out there). Azumi may sound and appear older than Sesshomaru, but in reality she's just mature for her young age (as is Sesshomaru and Amaya). Until next time!**


	12. Waltzing in the Moonlight

**Chapter 12 everybody! I told ya I'd have it up soon! Let's start dancing in the moonlight ~! l) **

**Enjoy! **

_Previous:_

"_Do you want to be my friend?" She asked. Aneko shuffled her feet and looked bravely at the older girl, nodding once. _

_ "Hai. Will you let me be?"_

_ "Of course. Now," Amaya stretched her arms out over her head. "How about you and I go exploring, huh?" The cougar smile widened when Aneko's eyes seemed to glow at the thought._

_ "Sure!"_

* * *

It didn't take even ten minutes and the two young demonesses were laughing and telling about their lives. Many older demons would smile and interact with the two girls, asking if they liked being at the Ball.

"I can't believe this is your first time being here, Amaya." Aneko gasped, sitting next to the cougar; well, snuggled actually. They had chased each other up to the attic, which they had found, and now both relaxed on the rooftop of the palace, both changed into their other forms, enjoying the sunset's warm rays and the wind's soothing breeze.

"Well, I was never allowed to come by my father." Amaya quickly explained to the black and white phoenix about Hotashi and his abusive behavior to her. "Back then, I never thought I would ever have the chance to come to the Grand Ball. Guess I was wrong."

"So? You're here and you're happy right?" Aneko asked, pulling away from Amaya to curiously look at her.

Amaya smiled, looking up to the first specks of stars in the sky. "Yeah, I am actually. I have my cubs and a potential mate…" She ducked her head, blushing softly.

Aneko chirped happily. "Amaya's got a crush! Tell me, who is it? Someone young, our age?"

"Heavens no! He's a little older, around my eldest brother's age. He's cold sometimes, but he's growing a little soft for my cubs and myself…I think. He may seem rude and careless to others, but I know he's more than that. He's a complete gentleman; to some extents."

"What's his name?" Aneko persisted eagerly. However, she stopped, noticing that Amaya's scent spiked with suspicion and nervousness. "Oh, sorry…I was just curious. I would tell you my crush's name."

The cougar's ears perked up in full attention. Her face turned mischievously. "Oh really? Well then, I'll tell you mine; right after you tell me yours."

"Hey! That ain't fair!" Aneko squawked in protest. Amaya laughed, patting the phoenix with her tail.

"Kidding!" She snickered. When she sobered, she sighed, returning her gaze upwards. "Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshomaru. He has, well…captured my heart."

"You're in love with him? But he is the 'Killing Perfection', from what I've heard." Aneko chirped. She shivered when Amaya growled in anger, her scent turning around to annoyance. "But that's what I've heard! I never said that I feel the same. In fact, he isn't too shabby, you know?"

"Do you look at someone and just see their outside figure, or do you take the time to try understanding them?" Amaya suddenly asked, tilting her head and looking down at her.

Aneko was quiet for a while before she shrugged. "It depends. Sometimes I just don't want to know a person inside and out. If they are not who I would consider a friend, I leave them alone. When I was little, Ma would place me with other princesses or higher ranked girls to play with. But I never did; I hated everyone of them because they expected me to do things for them. They were stubborn, disrespectful, and were selfish. I want someone to look at me equally." She paused, looking up at Amaya, smirking. "And you took the cake."

Amaya laughed, purring smoothly. "Well, you took my cake as well. It feels nice to have someone closer to my age to play and be friends with."

They fell silence again, but Aneko picked up where they had started. "My crush is also older than I, maybe around Sesshomaru's age. He's tall, dark, handsome…"

"Oh, someone's going classic." Amaya chuckled. Aneko snorted. "Is he nice?"

"To all of the ladies and men, including half-breeds and humans! He's very sweet, um…I don't think he has noticed me, so I've kept my far distance and admiring him there. I wish I had the guts to at least talk to him."

Amaya felt like she knew the person, but didn't all together. _'Could it be…?'_ She leaned a little closer and asked, "What's his name?"

Aneko's face turned a bright red, her feathers puffing out in embarrassment. She attempted to preen them down while speaking, "Will you disgust me if I tell you?"

"No" Amaya said firmly, her voice holding no lying.

"I…I…" The phoenix started shaking a little. Finally, she blurted it out in Amaya's ear. "I like Prince Haruko!"

Amaya, first of all, nearly fell off of the roof from the shout in her ear. Regaining her balance, she looked wide-eyed at Aneko. "You…like my brother?" The demoness didn't know the younger female's face could get any darker red.

"Wait! He's…he's your brother?" Aneko squawked, feathers flying about. "You never told me that!"

"I didn't know you didn't know that!" Amaya protested, folding her ears back slightly. "I never knew you loved my brother."

"Well this makes things a whole lot worse!" Aneko threw her wings up dramatically. "Now I suppose you won't be letting me anywhere near Haruko." She mumbled sadly.

A hard slap from Amaya's tail sent the phoenix falling for a few seconds before she regained her balance and flew up to the roof. Her eyes flashed from her normal hazel blue eyes turned red in anger. "What was that for?" She shouted.

"Keep your voice down, Aneko. And that was for doubting me." Amaya said firmly, watching the bird land next to her. "I was knocking some sense into your small bird brain."

"Why?" Aneko asked, cocking her head till it was almost half way upside down.

"I'm proud you have a crush on my brother, it's just that I was shocked, that's all. For years, I thought Haruko would never swoon over a bird."

"Wait…you mean to tell me…he has a crush on _me?_" Aneko gasped. Amaya shrugged, smiling slightly.

"He never told me who it was that he likes. He told me that there was a female out there he felt his heart soar for. He just needed to wait or go searching for her. And I'm hoping it's not a mean girl and is actually someone like you."

"Oh, well…thank you." Aneko was speechless at the nice comment. "Do you think he'll see me at the Ball?"

Amaya was silent. After almost three minutes of silence, Aneko looked up and started speaking when the cougar snatched her up into her jaws. "H-Hey! Amaya, what are you doing?" She squirmed uselessly in the demoness's clutch.

"Trust me." Was all she said before jumping back into the attic. She practically leaped down the ladder and ran through the hallways, her footsteps light and almost unable to hear. Aneko kept her mouth shut, hoping that, wherever she was taking her, it was a good place.

Amaya could hear demons talking loudly down below her. Peering over the railing leading downstairs, she could see that almost everyone was in the large ballroom. Music was playing for them, while drinks from the chefs and talented servants were being set out for the demons and demonesses. The emotion of things was neutral, demons meet and greeting long time friends, or simply blending in by talking about to the crowds. With Aneko dangling from her jaws, Amaya made sure not to drop her as she gazed farther out, her eyes wandering from person to person.

Finally, her gaze settled on the longhaired demon. Her heart swelled and she giggled. Aneko looked up at her and chirped, grabbing the cougar's attention again. She smirked, showing her fangs and got down from the railing, walking carefully downstairs. She nodded kindly to people passing by and headed towards the crowded area of the ballroom. As she did so, she transformed into her humanoid form and let go of Aneko so she could as well.

When they reached him, Amaya felt her heart nearly explode upon seeing his form. He was, like many females she heard from the past say, incredibly handsome. Her brother was almost a complete split of both her and their mother, Natsumi. His long black hair was tinted with a slightly lighter brown, unlike Amaya's dark brown and short hair, like their mother. It came down past his shoulders, but was tied up in a tight ponytail. Haruko wore a handsome black and blue kimono with purple flowers on it. _'He remembered mother's favorite colors.'_ She thought, touching her heart.

"I'm scared, Amaya." Aneko whispered, loud enough for her to only hear. "What if he doesn't like me in truth?"

Snorting at the suggestion, Amaya reached up to her 6'2 brother and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but I believe you missed a fellow lady." She called over the noise.

When he turned around, she grinned proudly, seeing his purple eyes. "A-Amaya?" He finally spoke in his deep baritone voice. She nodded, forcing herself not to cry; yet.

"Amaya!" He gasped, picking her up and hugging her tight to his form. She happily crushed him into the hug, wrapping her own arms around his chest. "Oh, my dear sister, love! It is so blessing to see you again!" He whispered into her ear.

"Aye. I've missed you for far too long, dear brother." Amaya choked up, letting a single tear fall down her face. But it quickly soaked into his kimono. She felt something wet slip through her hair to her skull. Haruko also was rejoicing in letting his tear of joy fall on her. "I'm so sorry, brother. I was gone for far too long for the both of us."

"It is well, sister. Amaya, you've grown into a beautiful lady like I had always knew and loved." He said, pulling away and smiling tenderly to her. Amaya blushed, grinning lightly.

The clearing of someone's throat broke their embracing. Amaya looked over and nearly toppled over in embarrassment. Sesshomaru was staring at her, one of his elegant eyebrows raised in amusement. She now just wanted to hide herself in Haruko. "H-Hello…Sesshomaru." She squeaked out. Haruko looked back and forth between them and smiled.

"So, Lord Sesshomaru…you never told me the _'finely scented and openly beautiful woman'_ we were speaking about before was my sister."

Amaya heard Aneko behind her snicker and sent a death glare at the phoenix princess. She immediately shut up when Haruko hummed. "Oh, and who is this? Amaya, care to tell?"

She forgot her embarrassing episode and smirked, going up next to Aneko and nudging her in the side. "Haru, this is my new friend, Aneko. She is Azumi's daughter, making her the princess of the Eastern Lands. Aneko, this is my eldest brother, Prince Haruko of the Southern Lands. He's next in line for the throne." She introduced them to each other. When Aneko didn't move, she pushed her closer to Haruko, causing an '_eep_' to come out of her mouth. "Say hello." She hissed quietly in Aneko's ear.

Gulping down her nervousness, She nodded numbly. _'Now or never.'_ Amaya thought, watching Aneko bow respectfully to Haruko. "H-H-Hello, Prince Haruko. It's an honor to meet the great brother of Amaya. She has told me a lot about you." She said blushing lightly.

Amaya cheered inwardly when Haruko blushed a little too. He smiled, taking Aneko's hand and kissing her knuckles. "The honor is all mine, Princess Aneko. I've been friends with Azumi since I was a pup and now I'm thrilled to see her lovely daughter." He commented.

"Oh! T-Thank you, and please call me Aneko. I don't like thinking of myself as a princess all the time" Aneko said, shuffling her feet.

Haruko chuckled heartily. "Then on the flipside, call me Haruko or Haru. And trust me, I know what you mean." He said, staring down at her. She giggled back, feeling a little at ease talking to him. Aneko started speaking more outgoing with Haruko, sensing that he wasn't one to feel criticized very quickly. In fact, he gave his opinion on what they were talking about, good or bad.

Amaya stood next to Sesshomaru, eyeing the two demons with keen interest. "I knew she could do it." She snorted. The demoness turned and smirked at Sesshomaru. "You said I was beautiful to my brother?"

Sesshomaru flinched back a little, but quickly regained his composure. "A simple complement, nothing more or less" She felt hurt hearing that, but she didn't show it.

"Huh. Alright then." She huffed, turning to walk away. But a hand stopped her on her arm. Amaya gasped as she was pulled back against his hard armor. But she could feel the heat from his body too.

"Dance with me." He whispered close to her ear. She shivered involuntarily. Amaya glanced up at his face and saw that he was being serious and he wasn't going to change his mind. Gulping down the lump in her throat, Amaya turned to face him and crossed her arms together.

"Alright, dog boy, what the hell do we do?" She snapped, irritated about trying to dance. "I don't know how to dance so you're gonna have to help me."

He smirked. _'This shall be interesting…'_ With that, he grabbed one of her hands and pulled it outwards. She stumbled a bit and blushed at her mistake. "First, you must keep your posture straight and relaxed out. Place your other hand on my shoulder." Sesshomaru directed her. Carefully, she placed a hand on his right shoulder, making sure not to hurt herself on his spikes.

"Bring yourself closer." he said. She stepped up, her head at his shoulders and looked up again for instructions. "Follow my lead and trust me."

Amaya nodded and started to dance in step with him to the slow waltz. She apologized every time she stepped on his feet. After the tenth time, she started pulling away. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshomaru, but I can't dance. You'll find a better partner that actually doesn't fall on your feet." Amaya stepped away but was pulled back.

"I never said I mind it, Amaya." He growled in her ear over the music. "I will dance with you and only you. Please continue with me." he said softly.

The cougar demoness felt appalled at his offer now. She didn't want to be rude, but then again, she didn't want to be embarrassed or even embarrass him by dancing stupidly. Finally, she sighed and got back into his grasp and looked away. "Fine. Just…go easy on me, okay?" She muttered.

He nodded and they started up again. Amaya kept her eyes glued to the ground, watching where she stepped. After a good twenty minutes of dancing, she realized that she was in full step with him. Suddenly, Sesshomaru twirled her around, startling her before bringing her back to his chest.

"Hey! Why did you do that?" She hissed.

"Relax." Was all he said before doing it again. Amaya blushed when he brought her back against his armor. His aura coated around her, making her muscles less stiff. Sighing, she melted into her mind and went with the flow. Sesshomaru spun her back around, noticing her being flawless and actually dancing with him through the next few songs.

The two danced for what seemed like eternity, which was really another fifteen minutes. Amaya smiled, placing her head on his armor, listening to his heart beat only loud enough for her sensitive ears to pick out.

When the fifth song ended, they reluctantly pulled away from one another. She bowed to him and smiled. "Thank you…thank you so much, Sesshomaru. I'm very grateful for this…and the fact that you didn't laugh and make fun of my clumsiness."

"I would do no such thing. And the honor is all mine." He said, picking up her hand and kissing it. Amaya's heart clenched as she felt his lips, cold in words but warm on touch, linger on her skin. She turned her hand around and cupped his cheek, making him look up at her. She walked closer and stood on her tip toes.

Their faces were mere inches from each other. Amaya glanced over and saw a large amount of females glaring harshly at her. She smirked, and returned her attention to Sesshomaru. 'I'm truly falling for…' She didn't finish her thought as he slyly swooped in and kissed her lightly on the lips. Amaya purred into him, letting his tongue lick hers. Smirking wider now, Amaya pulled away, a light blush on her skin.

"You tease." She whispered. His lips curled upwards.

"You're much worse, cougar." He countered.

Amaya rolled her eyes, but yelped when she felt a hand on her waist. Turning around, she saw Haruko behind her. "I believe I deserve a dance too, sis." he purred, setting his head on hers.

She laughed at Sesshomaru's expression. The look she had seen so many times before; possession and jealousy. "Sure, I would be honored, brother. Sesshomaru, relax," She winked "and trust me."

With that, both siblings walked back out into the center of the room.

**Whew! Well, that's done. I loved coming up with an idea where Sesshomaru and Amaya have some quality time together. They might have some more in the next few…**

**Until next time, Review and comment please! **


	13. Show Some Respect

**I'll be honest, I got lazy and didn't have the guts to upload any chapters. Plus I'm already hogged up with two other stories I'm writing at the same time. Don't fell sorry or anything, cause you shouldn't –shrugs-**

**And so, here is Chapter 13.**

**Enjoy!**

Sesshomaru watched them stroll off, his jealousy steaming downwards. They were siblings, ones that loved each other probably more than one may assume. But not in a wrong way.

"Who would've thought?"

The princess phoenix, Aneko, stood beside him. He appeared to be ignoring her, but obviously she knew he was actually. "They look so much like siblings, but one may not really think they are. One minute they are acting like siblings, the next they act almost like mates. They joke, they play around, but are both generous and caring."

"You have feelings for the prince." He said more than asked.

"And you have feelings for the princess." She countered, smirking slightly. "Making us even."

"What do you suggest to this Sesshomaru?" he said, his voice wary. Being friends with Azumi made him friends with Aneko. Hell, he remembered allowing her close to him when she was just a newborn chick demoness. However, afterwards, he had grown distance to both females and regretted doing so.

"Keep her happy, okay? She needs it. Amaya, though I had just met her, I know she's special. And she needs a special person to be with her." Aneko said. Her voice wasn't nervous like before, but full of life. Both girls were close in age, but were dramatically younger than Sesshomaru or Haruko. To humans, the males would've been around the age of 24, while the females were 18 or 19.

Sesshomaru smirked, nodding to her. "Same for you, Aneko. Haruko needs a bird such as you. He's your responsibility."

She laughed, her voice like a beautiful melody from a bird of paradise. "Thanks."

Meanwhile, the two siblings danced in harmony, just like every other demon on the floor that night. Amaya giggled as Haruko spun her around again, not feeling nervous anymore.

"I see you have your eyes set on the Ice Prince, Amaya." Haruko whispered in her ear. "How long has this gone on?"

"Can't remember, brother." She shrugged. "I met him, ironically, when he was fighting his half-brother for the Tessaiga. I was protecting Kagome and, back then, I thought he was nothing but a greedy bastard like Inuyasha had explained to us both. But…" She paused, looking down at their feet. She smiled. "He was wrong. Sesshomaru just needed to see the fact that nothing, not even him, is perfect, and that we all have our weaknesses, one way or another. That's why I gave one of my few lives up to save him and his ward, Rin, during the vicious battle against Naraku." She curled her lips, showing her fangs. "That creature never thought twice about killing an innocent child such as Rin. How dare he; and I would not have that."

Haruko observed his sister with interest and pride. She was so much stronger than him. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. _'And yet she doubts it completely.'_ he reminded himself about her low self-esteem. "I respect your courage, Amaya, no matter what. It was very brave, far braver than I've seen any of our sisters do, to sacrifice a part of your life to save another."

Amaya blushed and shrugged. "I love children." She stated fully. "What else can I say?"

"The fact that you love Sesshomaru too." He said, smirking. She glared at him. "Hey, I'm just saying the truth, aren't I?"

Attempting to retort, Amaya only came up with a sigh in defeat. "Yes, though I don't know if he feels the same. I'm too shy—that or too stupid—to admit my feelings to him." She whispered the last part. "I love Rin, as does he. And I think both Rin and Hayato are trying to get me closer to Sesshomaru."

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "Hayato? He your son?"

"Yes and no. Yes, he's my son. However, he is my adopted son. But I love him as if he was my own blood son. After losing my two boys and my first mate, I never thought I would bring another child as close to me as Hayato is now. Therefore, I have no regrets being his mother." Amaya quickly explained everything about Hayato and his life before meeting her, and the fact that he was a rare albino cheetah hanyou.

"Wow, this Hayato boy seems pretty lonely, but you fixed that easily." They laughed at his joke. He frowned suddenly, closing his eyes in distress. "I just wish I could be like you sometimes. Have a family, a mate, a life that's worth living through."

"First off, brother, I don't have the perfect life many would want. I have a life that I love though. And second off, I don't have a mate."

"But many believe you and Sesshomaru are mates, considering you two are rather close, both in distance and talk-wise. Many believed he was so closed off from the world and hated anything that they thought he was doomed to pass on his throne to an heir. You've changed that, both good and bad." He nodded over to multiple groups of females, glaring at Amaya mainly, yet dreamily staring at Haruko.

She snorted. "They are sluts. The won't know the terminology of 'love for life' if someone slapped it in their faces." She retorted. They looked at each other and a second later they were in stitches. They laughed to the point of letting go of each other and holding their sides, tears fall from their eyes.

"You're evil!" He gasped out, wiping his eyes. She grinned proudly and stood upright and grabbed his hand eagerly.

"Come on! Let's go and grab something to eat, brother." She said, her eyes glittering brightly and her mouth was growing wet from drool.

He started laughing again. "Right this way, sister Amaya. You won't believe what they have for food."

The two siblings walked off into the dining room, which was almost as big as the ballroom. Platters of endless food was piled upon each one on multiple tables, from simple veggies salads, fruits rare to even harvest, to the finest meat in every shape and size. Amaya about passed out, never in her life—not even while living in Sesshomaru's castle—had she seen this much food. Then she saw her all time favorite piece; crab legs and rich cherry apples.

"Kill me now and I'll be happy." She said, groaning at the sight of crab legs.

"I'd be willing to do so, pest."

All the joy of seeing the food fell out of her as she whirled around, snarling at Hotashi, who was grinning sickly. "What do want, Hotashi?" She growled.

He took a step forward, but he stopped when Haruko pulled his sister close, glaring softly at his father. "Father, leave us be. Don't you have a meeting to attend soon?"

"Aye, I do. But I couldn't help but imagine getting rid of Amaya from this place. She belongs to no one or anywhere for that matter—"

"Cease your speaking, wolf."

Amaya gasped as she was pulled out of Haruko's grasp and into a much firmer grasp. One she knew all too well of.  
"Sesshomaru, you have no say in this-"

"I do, and I say you leave my woman alone." He growled low. Amaya blushed, but managed to still glare hard at Hotashi still. She glanced over to see Haruko protectively placing his hand on Aneko's waist as she came up next to him. "We expect you to leave her be from here on. If not, face consequences"

"How dare you." Hotashi hissed, stepping up to face Sesshomaru. They were almost same height and that made tension even worse. "I'm not a simple pest like her that you can order around, Lord Sesshomaru. I will do no such-" Hotashi was silenced by a hard punch to the groin, knocking the wind out of the lungs. He stumbled down, but was quickly pushed back, with a sharp tessen starting to stab into his skin. That's only when everyone around realized that Amaya was holding down—dominating—her own father. Her eyes were cold, emotionless, and turning a rich sun yellow.

"You better watch your tongue, _Father._" She spat out, her voice sending shivers up everyone's skin. "I will not hesitate to kill you if you ever harm my man, my children, or my friends. So you better listen to both me and Sesshomaru when we say something warning. Got it?" She hissed out the last part, pushing him away roughly and with a flick of her wrist, her tessen was gone from her hand.

Hotashi looked at her; if only looks could kill. However, he stopped, noticing that he had gotten the attention of the demons in the dining room. Growling in defeat, he got up, turned around and pushed his way out of the room.

Amaya visibly sagged, breathing in and out slowly. "Asshole." She hissed under her breath.

"I'm sorry, sis." Haruko sighed. "Are you still hungry?"

Her response to that was her stomach growling loudly. She laughed. "Yeah, let's get something." She looked up at Sesshomaru. She bowed. "Thanks a ton, Sesshomaru. Do you want to get something too?"

He nodded silently and followed them to the food tables. Sesshomaru couldn't help but admire how she literally piled her plate to its maximum hold in food. She grinned happily and sat down at one of the long tables and started eating. She ate her food with calm, free of stress movements, savoring every bite of each food article as much as she could.

Even sadder part of it, he was getting turned on by her moans of blissfulness. He took deep breaths and focused on eating his food. But his arousal didn't seem to want to go away from the noises she was making. That's when he noticed other males staring heatedly at her. Sesshomaru glared back at them, sending them-practically scared for their lives—out of the room.

Amaya was especially ecstatic when she got to her crab legs. She giggled like a young demon and, with unusually expertise fingers, broke and ate all the crab legs on her platter.

Once she was finally done, Amaya threw in her napkin and sighed, her flat but muscular stomach bulged out a bit. "Wow! That was delicious. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. How was yours, Haruko?" She turned to see her brother grinning at her.

"Just perfect, but I honestly can't believe that you ate all of that food, Amaya! Aren't you sick to your stomach?" He asked, his eyes wide.

She shook her head. "Not at all. In fact, I feel contently full. Since I have a very high metabolism for a cougar, I need a large quantity of food. However, I haven't had a meal like this one ever and my body was usually given less food than it needs to have. But that's how I lived for the majority of my life." She shrugged, her eyes flashing sadly. Amaya looked at Sesshomaru and tilted her head to one side. "How was your food, Sesshomaru?"

"Fine." He said, looking down at his almost empty plate. "I must agree with your brother, you did eat a lot. Are you sure you're okay?" He scolded himself for asking such a question that she had already answered.

She smiled kindly and nodded. "I'm fine, boys. Thank you for your concern. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see how my son and daughter are doing. I'll be back." Amaya said, then got up and walked out of the room, waving to them without looking back.

Once Amaya had left the room, Haruko got up as well. "I'd suggest you follow her, Sesshomaru. Take some time with her and show her outside if you like."

Sesshomaru smirked, holding the urge to roll his eyes. "You take care of yourself and your woman, Aneko, Haruko. She needs you." He replied back, watching the wolf-cougar prince leave the room, only he headed the other direction into the ballroom. The dog demon watched Haruko bow politely to Aneko and walked her off, their arms happily linked.

Standing up, Sesshomaru walked off in the direction of Amaya after sitting for another twenty minutes by himself. He was still arguing with himself about kissing Amaya on the dance floor and his feelings for her. _'Is she even ready for this? Am I too much for her to handle?'_ He pondered.

**'We shall not know unless we try.'** His inner demon chimed in with a calm growl. **'She seems happier than she had been the first time we met. Oh, how I urge to claim her with the movements she does. And I know you wouldn't mind grabbing her too—'**

_'Silence, demon. Do not dare place such low thoughts in my head right now.' _

'**Suit yourself, pup. But don't come begging to me when your lust for her overcomes the rest of your senses. Don't forget as well; mating season is closing in on both of us and her too.'** With a deep chuckle, his inner demon was gone from his mind for the time being.

_'Impudent creature.'_ He scowled mentally. A beautiful laugh caught his attention. His feet carried him to a room filled with toys and fun activities for the younglings to play with. But all of them were instead focused on the pretty cougar in the middle of the room.

He couldn't help but smile a little when he saw his little Rin on top of Amaya's back, laughing hysterically as the cougar demoness bucked her hips up and down like a bull. Hayato pounced onto her neck and clung on as she jumped around. All the little kids and even some of the older children in the room started laughing happily.

"Higher, Mama! Higher!" Rin screamed ecstatically. Amaya smirked and started jumping all over the room, her footing taken in graceful steps. When she finally skidded to a halt, she was smothered with hugs from the younger children.

Laughing with them, Amaya lifted her head, which had two cubs that quickly transformed into small bears, nipping and biting her ears. She lightly shook her head to and fro, falling down when the older kids took her down. The cougar made sure not to crush the kids and cried out when she was piled onto by the children.

"Ahem." Sesshomaru thought it was time to settle things down, so he cleared his throat loud enough for the children and her to hear. They all looked up at him and pulled away from Amaya's form. She gasped, shaking her head from the lack of air to her head that made her dizzy. She perked up when his footsteps got closer.

"Oh! Hello, Sesshomaru. Children, this is my dear friend, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Hello, Lord Sesshomaru." They all said together—even the older kids—and bowed respectfully to him. Rin ran over and hugged his pant leg, while Hayato hugged his mother's neck protectively.

"Sesshomaru! Rin and Hayato have made so many new friends! And they play nice too. Amaya's so much fun to be around with and is fun to play with too!"

He nodded silently, his gaze not veering from Amaya's face. "Rin. Hayato. You'd best get ready for bed."

"Aww!" they whined in protest, causing Amaya to snort as she tried holding back her laughter. "But Rin's not sleepy, Lord Sesshomaru! Rin still wants to play"

"Now Rin" Amaya said firmly. "You know better. As do you, Hayato. Come along, I'll take you to bed with Sesshomaru."

"Ohh…okay" Rin said, stifling a yawn behind her tiny hands. She was lifted up into Sesshomaru's arm, while Hayato climbed up onto Amaya's back, his fingers wrapping around her two layers of soft and protective fur. "Bye, everyone!" They shouted behind them.

"Bye Rin and Hayato!" The other children said, waving at them just as a few other parent demons walked in to get their children. "Bye, Lady Amaya!"

"So long, my darlings. I shall see you tomorrow, guaranteed!" She said, waving her tail at them, then walked out of the room. Amaya kept her footsteps soft and quiet as she felt Hayato lean more and more into her neck until, after a while, she heard his heartbeat slowed from falling asleep. Amaya looked up and smiled, seeing the once protesting Rin now sleeping soundly into Sesshomaru's chest. The cougar's ears flickered when she watched Rin snuggle closer into his warmth.

"Mmm…Haya…to…Mama…Daddy…happy…" She mumbled out, a tiny smile of peace floating onto her lips.

Amaya felt her heart clench with love. This was her family, and she wanted so badly to be Sesshomaru's mate. But, she felt a very small fraction of herself holding onto her past lover and her deceased children. And the encounter of the shadow creature only hours prior. _'I will not do anything that might even harm them later on in life.'_ She told herself. _'Waiting will pay off, I will see to that.'_

The two adults reached at a beautiful hand carved wooden door. Since Sesshomaru only had one arm, Amaya walked over and, with her tail, turned the knob down and inward, opening the door. She smiled wider, seeing the room was just as large as the dining area downstairs. Fancily decorated, the room was beyond her normal expectations in beauty. _'It'll have to do.'_ she thought gruffly.

She transformed into her humanoid form and carried her son over to the only bed. "Looks like the children will have to sleep with each other tonight." She whispered quietly to Sesshomaru.

He raised an eyebrow and stopped in his tracks. She rolled her eyes, chuckling a little. "No, stupid. Not like that. They aren't ready for that kind of step until they are of matured age."

"They have been for some time." He countered back, his voice now quiet but teasing at the same time.

"You know what I mean." Amaya was not in the mood for jokes like his at the moment. She laid Hayato down, taking off his kimono to leave him in his under white kimono. Amaya did the same for Rin after taking her from Sesshomaru and setting her in the bed next to Hayato.

She ran her fingers through both their hair, smiling when she felt them lean into her touch. When she pulled away to leave, she felt Rin's little hand clutch at her kimono dress hem. "Mama?" She yawned tiredly.

"Yes, dear" She answered, sitting closer to her at the edge of the bed.

"Sing for us, please, Mama. Rin…loves hearing Mama's voice" She said, even though she could hardly keep her head up from the soft pillow underneath her head.

"Yes, Ma, please." She looked to see Hayato's beautiful eyes looking up at her hopefully.

She sighed, nodding. "Okay. But just one okay?" When she saw them nod tiredly, she closed her eyes and let her heart flood out a song she had heard many times from her brother.

(1)

_God loves a lullaby  
In a mothers tears in the dead of night  
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes  
God loves a drunkards cry,  
The soldiers plea not to let him die  
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes_

We pour out our miseries  
God just hears a melody  
Beautiful the mess we are  
The honest cries of breaking hearts  
Are better than a Hallelujah  


Sesshomaru smiled at the sound of her beautiful voice resonating throughout the room like bells from the heavens above.

_The woman holding on for life,  
The dying man giving up the fight  
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes  
The tears of shame for what's been done,  
The silence when the words won't come  
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes_

We pour out our miseries  
God just hears a melody  
Beautiful the mess we are  
The honest cries of breaking hearts  
Are better than a Hallelujah

Better than a church bell ringing,  
Better than a choir singing out  
(singing out)

We pour out our miseries  
God just hears a melody  
Beautiful the mess we are  
The honest cries of breaking hearts  
Are better than a Hallelujah

We pour out our miseries  
God just hears a melody  
Beautiful the mess we are  
The honest cries of breaking hearts  
Are better than a Hallelujah

(better than a Hallelujah sometimes)  
better than a Hallelujah  
(better than a Hallelujah sometimes)

Amaya lowered her voice as the song ended. When she opened her eyes, she saw the children were sound asleep up against each other, smiling as the song fluttered in their dreams. She leaned down and kissed each of their heads. "Goodnight, my cubs." She whispered in their ears before getting up from the bed.

**Song—Better than a Hallelujah**

**Artist—Amy Grant (wonderful song; you should listen to the real thing!)**

**Until next time!**


	14. This Emotion Called Love

**Another Chapter up and ready for reviewing and reading! Hope it pleases you all!**

**Enjoy!**

_**Previous:**_

_Amaya lowered her voice as the song ended. When she opened her eyes, she saw the children were sound asleep up against each other, smiling as the song fluttered in their dreams. She leaned down and kissed each of their heads. "Goodnight, my cubs." She whispered in their ears before getting up from the bed._

* * *

As she gazed down at them, she felt a firm arm wrap around her waist and a chin rest next to her ear. "You are beautiful when you sing, Amaya." Sesshomaru whispered, kissing her ear delicately.

She blushed, but giggled nonetheless. "You are a tease when you want to be, aren't ya Sesshomaru?" She purred happily. Moving away from him, she walked over to the large balcony window. Turning the knob, she opened it to get a hug of cool spring-summer air. She sighed, tilting her head up as her hair flowed freely in the air. "I miss this all too much. Being in a castle even for a short amount of time makes me…itchy to release all the tension from myself. Don't you feel the same, Sesshomaru?"

"Sometimes." He said, standing next to her. She couldn't help but stare at his perfect figure. When Sesshomaru noticed her staring at him, a surge of pride ran through his blood. But, he was stopped when he sensed her sullen scent. A thought occurred to him. "Come."

"Huh?" She asked, startled at the sudden order. But when his hand latched loosely on her hand, she knew he wanted to cheer her up.

"Follow me and trust me." He said, just like when he was helping her dance. She blushed a little redder but nodded in agreement as he brought her to the edge of the balcony. Looking down four stories made Amaya woozy for a second, but she shook her head and mustered up her courage as she saw Sesshomaru jump over the railing. She quickly followed his steps, landing on the soft grassy ground before him ever so gracefully.

"Where are we going, Sesshomaru?" She couldn't stop herself from asking another question.

"To the Spring Forest. This way." With that, he used his demon speed to run ahead. She purred, smirking at his attempt to out beat her in something. _'Not this time, big boy!'_ She thought.

Sesshomaru thought the action of him running off would give her a reason to catch up with her slower speed, but he was sadly mistaken in both categories. He almost yelped when he watched a blur fly ahead of him, the sight of Amaya's kimono the only thing before she started disappearing into the forest. He growled. _'I think not, cougar.'_ He thought proudly, before picking up the pace.

Amaya jumped from tree to ground simultaneously, enjoying the rush of freedom and fresh forest air coat around her. _'Oh, how I've missed this!'_ She thought, savoring all the scents, including fresh prey. But what really caught her attention was the white blur that caught up to her. "S-Sesshomaru!" She gasped. But her surprise fell away again to determination. "You're so on." She said a phrase that Kagome had said many times in the past.

She pounced upwards, landing on a thick tree branch but quickly jumped from branch to branch, feeling the hunt course through her blood. She hadn't felt like this in centuries. Amaya grabbed another tree trunk, throwing her weight on the balls of her heels and looked about. Panting, she managed a smile when she saw that she had sprinted ahead of Sesshomaru faster than she—secretly both of them—had anticipated.

An silly idea popped in her head, causing her to giggle. Amaya quickly changed back into her cougar form. She kept herself hidden in the dense leaves of her tall oak tree as her ears picked out the almost inaudible crunches of Sesshomaru's boots stepping on the forest ground. She forced her tail in-between her legs to keep herself as quiet as possible, and even shielded off her scent from him.

When she saw him appear from below her, she bunched up her shoulder muscles and hind leg muscles, wiggling her butt in little twitches. _'Little closer…little closer…closer…'_

Sesshomaru stepped in the trap and she pounced down from her perch. With a forward drop, she landed on his back, causing his center of balance to go off and made him fall. Luckily, he was quick enough to move to his side, landing with a hard grunt.

"Gotcha!" She yowled, grinning from ear to ear.

"You devil." He groaned, almost as if he was in pain. Almost.

Suddenly, she was on her back, staring up at Sesshomaru, watching as he smirked, his eyes turning from yellow to red and his body changing before her. His body turned into a more canine being, his fangs elongating as well as his snout. Amaya jumped away, watching as his momoko turned out to be his real tail. When he was done changing, Amaya gulped at the size of him. He was almost as tall as his normal form's height, which was about 6'5; and he was just standing on all four! Amaya stood at a simple 4'8 on her four, but standing on her hind legs only would bring her up very close competing to his height.

'_I don't want to even know what he stands at on his own damn hind legs!'_ She thought, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Cougar." His voice was so much deeper now, almost as if was shaking the ground and her body inside out. He walked closer, his steps unusually soft but firm with everyone he took. Instinctively, Amaya took a step backwards, scared he would be a completely different person.

"It's okay." He whispered, standing in all his glory in front of her. She craned her head, but stopped when he sat down, lowering his height a bit. "Do you fear me now?" he asked, his voice suddenly tight with anticipation.

Her heart reached out to him for his concern. Amaya smiled, walking up and rubbing him under his white, fluffy chest. "No…I do not, Sesshomaru." She sighed, enjoying his warmth coating around her. She felt his long tail wrap around her paws. She looked up at him and nuzzled his nose shyly. "Thank you." She whispered, licking his nose softly.

"A pleasure." he said back, bending his head to lick her forehead and then down behind her ear. Feeling her tense up in hesitation, he pulled back and growled in comfort.

_'He knows…'_ Amaya thought in relief.

Amaya felt her shoulders become light from all the tension leaving her. She sagged closer to him, sighing happily. "I knew you would understand, Sesshomaru." She said, her voice slightly muffled by his dense coat. A sudden glow from the side caught her eye. Looking, she gasped, her ears perking up to their max height.

Fireflies danced in millions of little lime-green couples above the grass. But what really caught her interest was the scent of water close by. Unable to sit still any longer, Amaya gave in to the little playful demon part of her and started pouncing at the fireflies lowest to the ground. Tail wagging, Amaya chirped happily at Sesshomaru, dropping down into a low crouch.

Growling at her, he got up and arched his back, showing her that he was not as serious as one might think. Baring her teeth, Amaya pounced on him, sending them into a tumble of fur and sheathed claws. Recovering quicker than the dog demon, the cougar raced towards the water scent. Snarling at the urge of the hunt coming back, Sesshomaru bolted after her.

Amaya was so much quicker in her cougar form, bouncing from limbs to the ground, zipping to and fro around trees faster than he could imagine. _'So this must be what she considered _'hair up her ass'_.'_ Sesshomaru thought with a deep chuckle. Picking up his speed, Sesshomaru now was even with her speed.

As the trees started to spread out more and lessen, Amaya abruptly skidded to a halt and ran behind him. With a dominant growl, Amaya slammed her head into the middle of his back, sending him flying into the air. Yelping, Sesshomaru crashed beneath the surface of water. It stunned him for a second but he came up to the surface with a loud gasp.

"Ha! Gotcha again!" She said before rearing back and letting out a cross between a roar and howl. But it was like a harp to Sesshomaru's ears, sounding nothing like he had ever heard before. When her call faded off into the sky, only then did he snap out of his trance and paddle his way over to the shoreline. Once he was up on the grass, Sesshomaru took a deep breath and shook out his fur.

When he was done, he looked up to see Amaya nearly drenched in water. He couldn't help it; the sight of her look like a drowned demon rat made him fall victim of chuckles. He hadn't laughed so hard since he was a simple pup.

The cougar stared wide-eyed at Sesshomaru, who was rolling in the damp grass. Growling at being wet, she ran past him, jumping into the large pond, causing a wave of water to splash down on him. When she came up, she grinned seeing him just as wet as her again. He got up, snarling in anger. "Come and get me you slow dog!" She yowled out, diving under the water surface.

Something inside of him snapped and he jumped in after her. Sesshomaru smiled at feeling all of his stress and tension being released just by playing with his cougar. Grabbing her tail, he threw her out of the lake and pounced on her, holding her down with his massive weight. _**"Submit, cougar." **_He growled deeply.

Amaya struggled under his body, but her inner demon purred heatedly. **'Child, he's the one for us. We shall only submit for him' **she said. Amaya smirked at her eagerness.

_'I know, I know, I'm just teasing him.'_ She thought, finally ceasing her struggle, sagging into the grass with a long purr. Amaya shifted when she felt Sesshomaru bend down and nuzzled her neck and ears calmly. "Easy, Sessho, I'm not going to fight back…" She purred in peace. He didn't seem really annoyed with the little nickname she gave him.

"Good. Only I will do this to you." He declared.

"Yes, sir." She giggled, mentally groaning in disappointment when he lifted himself off of her. But her upset declined when he beckoned her with his tail to follow her. Shaking out the damp grass and water from her fur first, Amaya then ran to catch up with him. "Where are we going now, Sesshomaru?" she chirped up.

"We're here. Look."

Confused, Amaya walked around him and gasped. A large cavemouth laid in front of them, the gaping entrance glowing with fireflies flying in and out of it.

"Wow." She said in awe. Amaya looked up at him and leaned into him. "You amaze me more and more, Sesshomaru." She chuckled.

He smirked proudly but it fell away when a cold drop from the sky fell onto his nose. He looked up just as more raindrops fell while the night got darker. Sesshomaru glanced over at Amaya, seeing her not moving from her spot as her pelt got drenched by the rainfall. Nudging out of her daydreaming, they raced into the cave, shaking off the cold rain.

Amaya yawned tiredly, sagging to the cold stone ground. "Today was a great day, Sesshomaru. Thank you so much. I've…I've never even thought of the idea of being accepted into a ball like this one." She said, sighing.

The cougar smiled when she felt the giant white dog lay next to her, pulling her closer to his warmth with his fluffy tail. "Sleep, my cougar. We have much to deal with tomorrow." He said, placing his massive head next to hers. Amaya complied, letting her eyes droop shut, breathing in his heavy forest and masculine scent as she drifted into her dreams. Sesshomaru pushed her closer before drifting off too.

**Until next, time! Hope ya'll liked it. Might be a little shorter, but it will be worth it in the next chapters…**


	15. Darkness Lurks in the Shadows

**This Chapter will begin the true thriller of the story (I think). The switching of P.O.V. is needed in order to understand what is going on better.**

**Enjoy!**

The rain drizzled lazily on the Feudal Lands, touching almost every part of them. Faintly lit stars, millions of light years away, twinkled where the clouds breached clearings. The moon itself was only another couple months away from the fullest it has ever been in almost a millennia; but it currently was shrouded by dark grey clouds of the night. The two demons slept together in the dry cave; while, at the palace, almost everyone had settled in for the night.

Almost everyone.

One demon, stoic and cold, stood gazing out of his bedroom window with hard, death-filled eyes. He was irritated at everyone for not understanding his plan only hours prior, but he forced himself to remain calm and keep up with his official plan. Running a stiff hand through his loose hair, the demon felt a smirk come up upon his face when he sensed the air change. Colder, Eerier.

_"Master, all is well."_ A raspy voice purred. _"But I fear my shadows are growing impatient."_

"Then you will report to them that they shall be killed if they cause any sort of waver in our plans, my darling. Things must be as accurate as we can obtain now." He said with a growl, pausing in his thoughts but continued to look outside. "I've—_we've_—waited for far too long to have low life shadow rouges you've created or gathered to mess things up. Tell them to keep themselves a bay…for now."

_"Yes Master, I shall report back to them. But that is not why I am here."_ The shadow's mist hiss below her feet, seeking out a fresh kill, but were forced to submit to the shadow's mental commands. _"They have fallen into the trap, Master. Soon, we'll have the first big step of our accomplishments."_ She chuckled very quietly. It sounded like ice being scratched and cracked, but to him, it was a simple chuckle.

He allowed a small smirk float across his lips, showing his fangs in the dimmed out moonlight. "Perfect. Sooner than expected, actually. But, we are ahead of our schedule by a day. Excellent work, my darling. However, we must continue on. You know what to do, but be sharp upon it. We must not fail on this. We only get it once. Understand?"

_"Yes Master. The whelp of a pest will never know what has hit her. I've been waiting to sink my jaws into her since our little…encounter." _The shadow said, licking her lips, her tongue grazing over her deadly fangs.

"Yes, yes, I know about your little 'tease' but this time's serious. Don't screw up on it." He finally pulled his gaze from the window and glared threateningly at the shadow. The mist around her feet whispered and hissed under his abrupt feature.

She curtly nodded once, bowing respectfully at him. _"Of course not, Master. Don't forget, I don't screw up on anything. I'm nothing like _her._"_ She spat out the last part with venom coating each word like she had tasted something foul in her mouth. _"I will have my revenge."_

"No, _we_ will have our revenge, my darling. Our dreams will arise. Now go and prepare."

_"Dream powerfully, Master."_ Was her last words, the air fading of her presence. He heaved in a breath, savoring her hunger for death. Just like him. Only he was specific on his kills. But a silent, unsuspecting one nonetheless. With one last look at the dark and dull rainclouds, he turned on the balls of his feet and headed to bed for the night.

o / o / o / o

Meanwhile, almost all the way across the Feudal Lands, lies a mountainous terrain, blocked off from most of living creatures. Only the roughed up and quick-adapters could surpass the harsh nature in the rocky territory. The closest human or even heavily demon-populated village was almost 35 miles away. Here, the rain didn't come down lightly, but instead down poured, causing the waterfalls around or more inward of the mountains to blast gallons upon gallons of heavy water down into the rivers, which quickly filled up and caused flash floods to any creature that dared to rest on the ground level. Trees, over the years of adaptation, grew thick and had even thicker roots to dig deeper and more securely into the harden soil and rocks.

In one of the many large but unusually well hidden caves laid a beast in semi-slumber. The days were now—literally—being counted down. He raised his monstrous head, blood eyes blinking sleepily as he glared at the cavemouth hundreds of feet away from his nest. He could sense disruption in the once peaceful air, though he knew that no other creature with lesser experience could pinpoint the air's change. Even though he had felt the air's change the same time Naraku had emerge on his lands and the same time when he had been extinguished, this time was different, and he didn't like it one bit. This was—in some circumstances—far deadlier than Naraku's simpleton plan to take over the Feudal Lands. Naraku grew cocky multiple times over the course of time, attempting to destroy the Lands quicker than he should have in the first place.

But this; this was something completely different. The work of a very skilled, intelligent…_demonic_ creature. He became fully alert, making his fur bristle and start to rise up. _'This person is planning something I suspect is meant for someone…or something.'_ the beast thought.

His big ears perked forward, hearing a slap of skin to rock as it entered the cave. The beast tensed up, feeling his lips slowly curl back in a prepared growl of warning. A raspy old sneeze followed and he relaxed visibly, sniffing shortly to detect that the person meant no harm. In fact, he could harm anything physically.

"Great InuTakeshi, sorry to intrude your home at this time of night." the old man grumbled, squeezing out the water from his green and black striped kimono.

The beast chuckled, his rumble shaking the cave a little. "You will never be a threat, Totosai. Merely a fly, but a compassionate one too." He said, eyeing the blacksmith demon walk over to the ash pile that hadn't been lit in many months. He watched as Totosai drop down to his bottom, crossing his legs and, with one strike of two flat stones, lit the ash pile again.

InuTakeshi looked back at the cave entrance, almost as if he was expecting someone else to arrive at the mouth. "You feel it just as much as I, don't you Totosai?" he stated more than asked the blacksmith.

Totosai didn't say anything for a few moments as he dropped a large bag and pulled out his utensils, including a large fang of a reptile demon. Placing the fang in the fire, he sagged forward to keep a sharp eye on it. "Do you know who it may be, Master?" He still called the demon his _'master'_; just like he had to InuTaisho.

"He or she is keen; they must know that I could sense them at any time. But this…this is prediction beyond I've comprehended to before. They know that the chances of me going after them is high; had I been younger and less experienced. I can't leave the cave until a war is closer. They must know this too. This is bait not only for whoever there really after, but also to me."  
"Which is why you won't leave the cave for anything outside your main territory." Totosai concluded his sentence with a grunt. "But that's not what really worries you…"

Knowing it was futile to lie to such a close apprentice like Totosai, InuTakeshi sighed and shook his head. "My kin. I fear for them." He said, placing his head down on his large paws. "Has my time come so soon or so late? I question myself every time my dear is harmed. But she has grown into a fine woman and poses much that I thought she had lost."

"Master, your decisions decipher on what you believe and do about it. I advise you the best of luck. But I also wish for her safety too." Totosai sighed, pulling the fang out from the fire, clearly not amused by its bright red glow as he started banging his hammer down on it. "She was great to the others as a guardian."

InuTakeshi looked at his former pupil and raised an invisible eyebrow. "Then why do you bang on that reptile fang of yours? You making it for her?" He couldn't help but tease, releasing some of the tension.

Totosai's cheeks, through the dim darkness, blushed a light pink. "It's called a repayment for when she protected my dear Mo-Mo, who is sleeping outside by the way. But it really isn't for her."

"What do you mean? You just admitted it."

"Right, but it's more of a replacement." Totosai in a firm voice, signaling that he needed silence for concentration.

InuTakeshi huffed deeply, returning yet again at the cavemouth. _'Great things will come for you, my dear. Even if it's not what you determine good. But it's coming; please…live strong, fight to the end,… and wait for me.' _He thought, letting the world fade off into a blur as he fell into a deep meditated slumber.

o / o / o / o

The morning brought quiet whispers of the forest as summer birds started awakening for the day. They started singing and chirping with joy, hoping their songs sent joy to everyone around them.

Amaya growled tiredly hearing the birds' voices ring quietly into the cave, but it seemed so much louder for her and it irritated her to no end. Knowing it was useless to try falling back to sleep, she got up, stretching her forelegs with a long yawn. Feeling alive and ready to go, she stopped when she noticed Sesshomaru still in his dog form and still sleeping. She smiled when he twitched his back paw, indicating he was more than likely dreaming of something around hunting food. Not wanting to wake him up, Amaya tip-toed very quietly out of the cave, glancing back every so often to see if she had disturbed him.

When she did leave the cave, Amaya purred contently at the sight of the lake sparkling in radiating sunlight. Morning dew covered the moist grass, while the trees swayed in a semi-warm breeze. Tilting her head up, the cougar demoness could still smell out some source of rain. _'Wonder if there's more to come.'_ She thought.

Amaya walked over to the pond's edge and started lapping up the water with her delicate pink tongue. She shivered involuntarily when she felt the cold water flow down her throat. As she drank up her fill, she failed to recognize the disturbance in the air. However, Amaya did hear the sound of a twig snapping behind her. Freezing at what she was doing, the cougar glanced behind her shoulder, confused when she didn't sense a presence anywhere around her.

_'A trickster who's blocking their scent from me.'_ She thought. Keeping her senses fully alert, Amaya looked around her, but she didn't hear, smell, or taste anything.

The next she knew, she was sent slamming into the water with a loud splash. The force of impact stunning her and causing her to gasp, taking in a lungful of water instead of air. Choking on the water, Amaya rolled in the water and kicked up to the surface, coughing in water more than air once she broke through it. Before she had time to complete her recovery, the form attacked her again. Her mind screamed, _'It's that shadow creature!' _But it didn't matter as she was practically maimed with deep wounds by its fangs and claws.

But she wasn't going down so easily. Snarling out into the water, Amaya raked at its face and punched it in the stomach, causing the shadow to engulf a large amount of water. Amaya felt her vision blur as her body screamed for air. Suddenly, she felt her entire body being pierced by something invisible, and sharp. She couldn't stop herself from screaming out into the water, causing bubbles to float rapidly up to the surface.

Then, all went black, numb, and empty…

o / o / o / o

**What will happen to Amaya? Who is this mysterious 'Master'? What is the mastermind behind all of this confusion? And who is InuTakeshi? If you don't know, you'll need to find out in the next chapter!**

**Until then!**


	16. Tides Recedes, Fear Emerges

**Not much to say, other than thank you for all of the favorites of this story and following of it! Hope it is worth reading for you folks!**

**Here's Chapter 16! Enjoy.**

* * *

Sesshomaru woke up to find Amaya not beside him. He was clearly confused as of why he didn't even wake up before if she had. Her scent was faint, meaning she had been out for a while now. Feeling a ting of panic rise into the pit of his stomach, the dog demon rose up, not caring that he didn't stretched his tired muscles.

The cave was completely silent, not a single thing breathed except for him. _'She must have gone out then.'_ He thought. Sesshomaru stopped at the cavemouth, lifting his big white head and sniffed the air, luckily, finding her not too far from the cave. Not wanting the chance of other demons seeing him the way he was then, Sesshomaru changed back into his humanoid form, feeling somewhat odd from staying as his "smaller" dog demon form.

"Amaya?" He called out, pausing to continue sniffing the air for her scent. Amaya's scent of cinnamon and hibiscuses was fresh, but he could detect water over her scent, puzzling him even more. That's when he smelt the blood and odor of the shadow creature around.

On quick feet, Sesshomaru sped off only to stop at the sight of Amaya, in her cougar form, lying unconsciously in the watery grass. _'Amaya!'_ His heart lurched out for her, but he forced his panic down and concentrated on seeing if the demoness was still alive. Sesshomaru bent down next to her and examined her. Amaya's wounds weren't as severe as one might think, considering he could already see her body had been healing up most of the worst battle wounds. The only thing that would be left is heavy bruising.

"Amaya, wake up." He whispered emotionlessly. Apparently, the motion of his hands moving up and down her stomach helped her come to.

She twitched, before coughing and started throwing up water and stomach acid. Amaya gasped for air, her ribs showing as she took in long and shallow breaths of fresh air. "Calm down, my darling, you're hurting yourself even more." He soothed her in his calm voice.

Amaya felt heavy, but alive nonetheless. Her whole body shook with fatigue. Hearing Sesshomaru's voice made her heart soar. Looking at him, she panted out, "I'm okay, thanks to…quick instincts." Every word hurt her body, but she knew she wasn't dealing with the worst of the pain. On weak legs, Amaya rose on all fours, shaking off the water from her fur.

"What happened?" Sesshomaru asked. Amaya shivered from both the cold water and his voice. But, knowing that he would want an answer, she sighed and waited until she regained somewhat normal breathing.

"I was…attacked by that shadow creature, Sesshomaru." She began slowly, letting each word sink in. "I tried escaping, but…she was quicker than I had expected. She nearly drowned me, Sesshomaru, I was so afraid." Amaya shuddered at the thought of dying. "But I managed to drown her first and get back up to the surface. After that, I can't really remember much, except darkness."

Sesshomaru placed a hand on her shoulder. "Amaya, you are well and alive, and that's all that matters now. You took care of something on your own, and killed the creature that threatened our family." he explained.

Amaya smiled at his sympathy. "Hai, and I thank you Sesshomaru. I believe we should head back to the ball and see how things are doing."

"Hn. I have a meeting with the other Lords and Ladies this afternoon, so let us hurry." Sesshomaru helped the demoness up to her feet, watching her change into her humanoid form before setting off. Amaya looked back at the lake and narrowed her eyes, as if she was suspecting something was wrong, but she shrugged it off and went to catch up with Sesshomaru.

They quickly arrived back at the palace, relieved that nothing had gone wrong while they were away. Many of the demonesses eyed Sesshomaru like a piece of meat, but they were casted off by Amaya, who growled possessively. The dog demon eyed her suspiciously. "Amaya, you must settle down. What's wrong with you?"  
That appeared to snap her from her behavior. "Oh! Sorry, Sesshomaru. It usually happens when one is close to their season. Please forgive me." She bowed apologetically.

"It's well. But, I believe it suppose to be the other way around." He whispered teasingly in her ear. She purred happily and controlled herself from leaning on him. Sesshomaru instead pulled her a little closer to kiss her secretly on the head, inhaling her scent for comfort. "I must go. The meeting may not start till the afternoon, but I promised to speak with the Lords and Ladies about other issues." He said, pulling away.

She nodded. "I hope you do well, Sesshomaru. Good luck." She said, watching him walk away. Dropping her hand, Amaya just stood there, eyeing where the dog demon lord had been. Suddenly, she was nearly fell when her legs were hugged tightly. Snapping her head down, Amaya was startled by the little form clutching her legs in a hug.

"Morning, Mama!" Rin squealed, grinning happily up at the demoness she considered her new mother.

"Oh, good morning Rin." Amaya chuckled at the girl snuggling into her kimono. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, but it would've been better if you were with me and Hayato." Rin said happily. Moving away from Amaya's leg, she reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling it enthusiastically. "Come and play with me and Hayato, Mama!"

"I would love to, honey, but Mama needs to go get freshen up and needs to do a few things. But I promise you, I'll be back for some fun" Amaya said, pulling her hand out of Rin's tiny grasp, patted her head, and walked off to wash up and get dressed in something different.

As she strolled away from Rin, she didn't really feel guilty for leaving the little girl behind. _'Right now, I have more business to do.'_ She told herself. As she circled a corner, she accidently bumped into another demon. "Hey! Watch it." She scolded rather rudely, rubbing her head.

"Whoa, what's eating you up, Amaya?" A feminine voice caused her to look up. It was Aneko. The demoness was dressed up in a beautiful purple and red kimono that broke off into large strands down at her feet. The red was around her mid-section and on her under kimono. Little purple and red hearts scattered at the hem of the kimono. Aneko's hair was half up and half down in a wing-style barrette. "Is something wrong Amaya?"

It took Amaya a moment to regain her composure. When she did, she smiled. "I'm sorry Aneko, I didn't know it was you. Sorry, I've been a little…cranky this morning."

"Well, I'll say!" Aneko exclaimed, throwing a teasing smirk. "Were you and Lord Sesshomaru doing something last night?"

Amaya's face grew dreamily hot. "Oh, I sure wish…" She whispered almost inaudibly. Smiling innocently at the phoenix princess, she passed her. "I must be going. I need to wash up from last night and then I have to go and find my brother. See ya!" With that, the demoness walked off from the disbelieving Aneko.

Aneko couldn't stop staring at Amaya's figure until she was out of clear sight. _'What the hell? Amaya would never say something like that! What is she, a slut? Apparently she's hit her head on something harder than expected.'_ Aneko thought, worry filling her stomach.

"Aneko, sweetheart?" Azumi's voice broke the phoenix from her thoughts. Aneko looked behind her and saw her mother in a beautiful white, orange, and yellow kimono with a flowery design on it. Her eyes flashed complete concern to her daughter. "What's wrong? Your scent tells shock and disbelief for something."

"I…I don't know, Mother. Haven't you heard Amaya lately? She's…different." Aneko searched for the right definition.

Azumi raised an eyebrow before placing a comforting arm around her daughter's shoulders. "No I have not, Aneko. But I will take your words and ask her later if something's wrong. But, I must ask, how do you think she is different?"

"Well…she's a little…oh, I don't know, Mother! She sounds more bold than before and I don't know why. Her scent gives nothing off, as if this is her normal attitude. But there is something different about her, I can tell…" Aneko seemed and sounded very determine on her opinion.

The Lady of the East eyed her daughter and saw no joking or teasing in her features. Sighing, she patted her and brought her into a short hug. "Okay, I believe you, honey. I'll talk to her later and see how things go after I'm done discussing things with the other Lords and Ladies. Understand?"

"Yes, Mother" Aneko nodded and received a kiss on her cheek and she watched her loving mother walk off towards the "semi-meeting" she had to attend. With a stressed out sigh, Aneko turned on her sandals and walked off in the other direction.

o / o / o / o

Watching the cougar demoness walk away from the chance of playing with her and Hayato, Rin was confused. _'Huh…that's weird. Mama usually doesn't hesitate in the idea of playing with me and Hayato. But then again, I heard Mama and Lord Sesshomaru had come back from the forest and that she had gotten into a fight. Hope she's okay'_ Rin thought. With a semi-sullen shrug, she turned and headed back to her room. She felt something hot and wet fall from her face. Rin realized that she was crying.

Her hanging head and sad sight got the attention of a certain demoness "Oh, my! Are you okay?"

Rin stopped in her tracks and looked up to see a pretty demoness. "I'm fine, just um…bored." There was a pause in the air. Rin tried to rub away the tears that had dried up on her face. Aneko raised an eyebrow at the slight hesitation in the little human girl's voice, but she decided not to push it. "What's your name?" Rin asked rather curiously, wondering if this demoness knew her mother.

"My names Aneko, and I'm the princess of the East. And I assume you are Rin, the adopted child of Sesshomaru and Amaya?" Aneko asked back.

Rin nodded slowly, debating if she should really tell Aneko about Amaya. _'It's no big deal.'_ She convinced herself. _'Mama's just busy, and I can't blame her for that.'_

"Rin! Rin!" A masculine voice brought the two females out of their little conversation. Rin looked up to see Hayato standing a few feet away. His expression was one of concern. Smiling sweetly, she ran over and hugged him "What's wrong, Rin? Everything alright?" he asked in a rush voice.

"Well, Hayato, I was crying because—"

" —she tripped and hit her head on the floor. I was nearby and I decided to comfort her. Nothing big." Aneko interrupted the little ward, not wanting to upset or concern anyone any further. "I assume you are well now, Rin?"

Rin looked at Aneko and understood why she had lied to Hayato. Nodding, she forced out a smile. "Yep! I'm better. Thank you Lady Aneko." she said bowing. Hayato bowed as well.

"Thank you very much, Lady Aneko. Do you know where Lady Amaya might be?" He asked innocently. Aneko held back her flinch at the question.

_'This could end up bad.'_ she mumbled inwardly.

Instead, she put on a smile and shook her head. "Nope, I'm sorry, umm…Hayato? But I assume she will play a little later." She said calmly. When she saw the slight disappointment, she thought of something fast and blurted out, "I'm available to play with. Would you want to play with me?"

Hayato and Rin both seemed startled by her request. But that quickly went away when Rin smiled brightly and squealed. "Oh, that would be wonderful. Let's play with her, Hayato. Come on, it'll be just as fun as playing with Mama!" She pleaded, her eyes big with excitement.

He shrugged. "Sure, I guess that's okay, so long as Lady Aneko isn't bothered by it." Aneko laughed at his hint of humor, and transformed into her phoenix form. If Rin's eyes were lights, they would be shining brighter than the sun.

"Ah! You're so pretty, Lady Aneko!" Rin exclaimed. Aneko blushed, absently preening a few feathers to hide her embarrassment.

"Well, that's very kind of you, Rin, and I thank you, honey. Shall we?" Aneko pressed on, as she lifted herself into the air and started flying away. Rin trailed after her, with Hayato not very far behind her. She watched in amazement as Hayato also transformed into a different form. Aneko had remembered being told by Amaya the night before that her son was a rare albino cheetah hanyou that could change, miraculously, into a second form. With an amused smile, Aneko flew outside to play with Amaya's adopted children.

o / o / o / o

Aneko sagged against the willow tree tiredly. She never knew teenagers who still had some spunk in them could be so…energetic but exhausting at the same time. Nonetheless, the phoenix princess was glad to hang out with both Rin and Hayato. _'They sure do know how to keep one another occupied.' _she thought with a chuckle. Hayato kept stalking and pouncing on her and Rin, but it was enjoyable too. She got her revenge by pushing him into puddles made in the mushy grass from the previous night's rain. That sent Rin into a fit of laughter for a long time, till it irked him enough to pounce on her. Aneko couldn't help but remember the slight touches they had on each other, how Rin's face turned a flush pink whenever he gave off a mischievous grin, and vice versa on his blush.

_'They are destined to be mates, even though they are 'siblings'.'_ Aneko thought with a grim smile._ 'Then again, their adopted siblings, so I don't think that's bad either. They're not related by blood nor flesh. Doesn't sound bad, and they love and adore one another like mates. I wonder what this will look like when they're older.'_

"There you are!" A handsome voice floated into her little ears. Opening her eyes, she squawked when she saw Haruko standing in front of her, looking down at her with a amused smirk.

"Haruko! You shouldn't stalk up on me like that." She hissed, transforming back into her humanoid form. Standing up, she dusted herself off. "Is there something you need?" Aneko asked in a nicer tone, not liking the feel of a blush appearing on her cheeks.

The wolf-cougar prince's smirk got wider and he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I was wondering where you had gone off to. I missed you." He whispered closely into her ear.

She held back her groan, placing her hands on his chest and pushed away slightly. "You devil. Such a joke sometimes. How did the meeting go?" She asked.

His face turned that of stress and frustration. He rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. "My father must be going crazy, I'm telling you, Aneko." When he saw her confusion, he explained, "Well, recently, we've heard about unknown shadow creatures attacking villages close to the palaces on each side of the kingdoms, killing random people. My father wanted to investigate immediately and then go straight to war. Sadly, I tore myself from the Southern kingdom's obligation on the idea and went against his idea, saying that it was careless and it made him more of a power-hungry ruler. He then accused me and the other rulers that we were hiding something from him."

"Did my Mother say anything?" Aneko asked.

"Yes, she questioned the outcome of it. He replied that it would make the humans and lower demons look towards a powerful leader. Let's just say that she was gripping her chair to hold herself down. My father was both amused but very angry that no other demon agreed with him. After that, he seemed to be giving everyone—including me—the evil glare, like he wanted to prove to everyone that we were wrong and he was damn right. I asked him after the meeting what was on his chip and he just scoffed at me and walked away."

"Ouch. He doesn't sound like a happy Lord." Aneko mumbled only loud enough for them to hear. She glanced over around the tree, seeing the two children sleeping off their remaining excitement for the day. "Are you having another meeting soon?"

"Yeah, but that won't be until tomorrow night. It seems important, because the older Lords and your mother are requesting the next high rank demons and demonesses to join the meeting. Meaning you'll be there." He chuckled the last part. He had grown unexpectedly close to Aneko since the night prior, almost to the point of love. But he didn't believe in love at first sight, so he kept his urges at bay and started learning more about her, and vice versa. Haruko looked over at the children and smiled. "They wore you out today?"

"Not as much as they wore each other out." She said, smiling softly. "They're good kids, and I'm proud of Amaya for taking them in as her own."

"Yes, my sister always makes decisions that are for the good of others. I have yet to see her do something for herself. And I don't count taking in Hayato as her own on that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…when we were younger, she always had the urge to repay me or do something for me while we would be training. Like she was…thanking me in a bigger and more respectful way for training her for the future. It was confusing and annoying at first, but then I started accepting it. It was who she was, a giving and not receiving person. Amaya is—and will always be—the best sister cub to me. I've missed her more than I would ever care to say."

Aneko smiled at how loving Haruko truly was. When she had been younger and hardly knew him at the time, she convinced herself of what other females had said about him when he had turned them down; that he was cruel, cold and just like his father in some ways, despite being very smart and dashingly handsome. Now, she was glad she had thought otherwise, considering his feelings of deep brotherly love for Amaya.

"Where is Amaya anyway? I would think she would be with the children." Haruko pointed out.

Stifling a groan, Aneko sighed instead. "Amaya told me she—" A sudden scream interrupted her, sending a shiver along her spine. "What was that?" She gasped, quickly looking down to see that the kids were stirring in their sleep, but didn't wake up ironically.

"I don't know." He looked at them too before making up his mind. "Let's leave them here, they'll be fine for now. Come on." He whispered, taking her hand and they ran back to the palace.

When they reached it, they were shocked to their cores when they saw a nastily torn up guard and dead on the now once neat and clean rug. Demons circled about with fear and confusion draping over everything like a curtain to their senses. Haruko placed on his—what Aneko calls—"lord mask" as he neared the body. "What happened?" he said sternly, just as Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Hotashi, Lord Kouga, and Lady Azumi arrived. Amaya was next to Sesshomaru, Lady Ayame next to Kouga, and Tadao next to Azumi.

"H-he just collapsed, my Lord." one of the guests said, clearly going into hysteria. "H-he burst through the doors and started speaking, but he must've lost too much blood because he just…fell and now is dead!" She screamed again, holding her chest protectively.

"It's okay, sweetheart." The male demon next to her held her close to his body, attempting to comfort her.

"Do you remember what he said, ma'am?" Kouga stepped up, dressed in not wolf skin, but a rich brown kimono suit.

The demoness shook her head, her whole body shuddering under her friend's grasp. "Not much came out…he said something about 'invasion in the Northern lands', where I assume he's from. Then he said '…sound the alarm. They've already reached the other lands…' and that was that. He just fell." She kept saying over and over again.

"Ma'am, it will be alright, I promise. Now go and get some help." Haruko said calmly, pushing her on her back away from the scene. When she was gone, he stood up straighter. "Everyone! I expect you to leave as well. The servants and helpers will clean up this man and see to it that he is buried back at his village once the damage has been cleaned up too. Now leave." He said firmly.

One by one, the demons scattered back to their rooms and left many servants to clean up the mess. Haruko thanked them all and walked over to the Lords. "What the hell is going on here, gentlemen and lady?" He hissed. "Kouga, do you know this man?"

"Sadly I do not. But a few lower ranked village demon leaders have come to me and reported that his name was Fuske, a warrior guard in one of the villages. One of the best, from what I've heard. Many wanted him to come to my palace and be a guard for me. Didn't sound like a bad idea at the time. A shame that he died like this." Kouga bowed his head respectfully.

"What did the lady say to you again, Haruko? Something about an invasion attack or something around that?" Sesshomaru asked in his cold voice.

"Yeah, and that it was around the other lands too." Haruko rubbed his chin in thought. Then he returned his attention to the other Lords and Lady. "I would highly recommend that we head back to our palaces. If we stay here any longer, more than likely there will be more kills until it gets out of control. I'm sorry."

"No need to be, brother." Amaya stepped in with a sincere smile. "If what you say is right, then it's the best option. And I suggest that we have a meeting if anything else threatening occurs."

"It appears most wise." Azumi nodded slowly. Looking up at Tadao, her eyes showed sorrow. "I'm sorry love, but you'll more than likely have to leave."

Tadao smiled, kissing the top of her hand gentlemanly. "No worries, my love. We'll see each other at the meeting, since the Lords agreed upon the decision." he said in his deep voice. Aneko smiled at the sight of her father. Tadao was one of the most respected servants currently, to the point where the Lords and Ladies accepted his wisdom of knowledge into the meeting, it appeared.

"Right. I would think we would be ready to head out around high noon tomorrow after all that blood's been washed up. We don't want this place looking like a pit." Azumi drily chuckled.

Haruko nodded, as did the other demons. "It's settled then; we'll leave after lunch tomorrow. But for now, let us go and prepare the other remaining chiefs and servants for dinner shall we?" With their approval, the high Lords and Ladies went to the eating area. Aneko stayed behind, looking over at Amaya, who stopped and said something into Sesshomaru's ear too quiet for her to hear. Then she kissed him on the lips and walked away, a motherly smile on her face. _'She must be going to get the children. Too bad she'll find them sleeping outside.' _Aneko thought smugly. _'I guess…she was just busy and there's nothing really wrong.'_

"Aneko, dear?" Aneko jumped slightly at the sound of her mother's call. She looked at her and saw the phoenix demoness smile kindly. "If you're worrying about your friend, honey, don't. I talked her after the meeting was over and she said to me that she was just getting some breakfast and then started talking with some servants, asking them about if they've heard anything about the West Palace that would be a concern to both her and Lord Sesshomaru. Nothing suspicious like you've said, though I'm not calling you a freak." Azumi chuckled.

Aneko let out a breath of relief, shrugging in return to her mother's info. "Thank you, Mother. I'll go and check the servants on cleaning up and give you a report. Will you tell Haruko I shall see him at dinner tonight?"  
"Very well. Now, off you go." Azumi said, turning on her heels and hurried off to the other Lords and Ladies.

The phoenix princess walked the other direction, observing each male and female doing their job. Each one had been taught wisely, for they cleaned up the body and mess flawlessly. That's when she located her father as he got down on his palms and knees before starting scrubbing the luscious cherry wood flooring of the blood. Aneko noticed how nonchalant he looked, like he has done this various other times at the Southern palace, where he mainly works.

"Hi, Father." Aneko said, now standing next to his crouched body. She had to admit, her mother had chosen a perfect crow demon. His muscles flexed every time he moved up and down on the wooding. Tadao looked up and smiled brightly at his daughter.

"Hello, Princess Aneko." He said formally, standing up while washing his big hands. "Is there something wrong that I can help you with?"

Aneko shook her head. "No, not really…" She paused glancing warily at the floor. No blood was left, but the wood where the body had been appeared a little darker. She shivered at the thought of seeing that poor guard pushing himself past his own limits to warn the Lords and Ladies of the 'invasion'.

Kneeling to the ground, she reached out and touched the spot. Though no other demon knew of her power—with the exception of her parents—Aneko possessed the ability to naturally and willingly seeing the past events of anything she touched, including blood. Blood was much harder to see through, because most of the time it was through pain and death; two things Aneko had hated seeing unless it was ultimately necessary. Closing her eyes, the princess phoenix now sat in the feet of the once alive guard…

_The whole village was replenishing in food and happiness. That day had been a good hunt and harvest for his village. On that evening, the dinner feast would be a fabulous one. In less than a month before the Superior Moon would arise, a time for demons and humans in the village to celebrate. Any village would do the same. _

_ His gazed turned over to his mate, a beautiful demon female, who laughed as she worked on washing berries and herbs for preparation. His three kits, two boys and one girl, ran about with the other human and demon children in the village grounds. They knew better than to leave the village without some kind of parent or guardian protection. Their visiting governor of the village talked among the other males, laughing every so often at a joke._

_ "The Gods are proud upon us, Fuske." The guard next to him said, patting his shoulder. Fuske nodded in agreement._

_ "Yes, and in a few weeks timed, our feast shall be celebrated with other villages'. Our Lord Kouga has done wonders since Naraku's perishing." He said calmly, looking back at his children. His daughter, Mayu, ran up to him, her hands holding one pretty white flower. _

_ "Daddy! Look at the pwety flower!" She giggled, holding up closer to him. He laughed, picking her up and kissed her on the cheek._

_ "Yes, it is sweetheart! Is it for me?" He whispered in her ear, causing her to giggle even more. He bent his head as she reached up and placed the white flower behind his ear and hair. She then gave him a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek._

_ "Daddy now even pwettier! I love Daddy!" She said happily, jumping down from his arms and ran back over to play with her older brothers._

_ "Lucky." The guard next to him grumbled. Fuske laughed, amused by his friend's fake envy. The demon had a family as well, but they were all almost grown up._

_ An explosion nearby suddenly shook the ground furiously, catching every villager off. Before any of them had time to recover and question what was happening, another explosion blew two huts into pieces, the humans and demons nearby it either taken down by rubble or burned to a crisp by the intense heat._

_ "Invasion!" Fuske shouted, watching as kids ran to their mothers and the mothers running to safety. But there was quickly no more safety as more huts started blow up. Fuske ducked just in time to dodge a large wood frame. He looked behind him and gasped. His friend was attacking shadows from all sides, but was quickly overpowered by them. "Damon!" He screamed, he looked around frantically for his mate. He found her, but she wasn't what he used to know of his mate. Her guts were spilled on the dirt ground, her right arm ripped from her body as blood started pooling from her wounds. "My l—" Fuske's words stuck in his throat when he felt pain from his gut burst upwards. _

_ A clawed hand shot out from behind him, came around and held him against the body of a female. He choked on his own pain, his own blood now clotted in his throat, when the enemy blew into his ear, "Weaklings." he heard a raspy feminine voice. He was pushed forward and his stomach was pierced again by the female's weapons. _

_ When he tried to get a quick glance at her, he only saw shadows and mist floating up into the air. He could smell his own blood and the scent of decay and madness on the female shadow. She grinned, showing off her long white fangs. Then, with a snap of her fingers, she was gone._

_ He looked around, hoping to see any signs of survival of the deadly and swift invasion. But, to his horror and anger, nothing stood living. His mate and several other females were sprawled across the dirt and grass, their blood leading out small trails. Children and warriors laid everywhere, burned or already starting to decay from the fire from the huts. _'No…Wha…How can this…happen…'_ His mind was off, growing more faint and dark. _

_ Fuske knew he had to warn someone of the invasion. He could vaguely hear other villages grow confused and start screaming as the shadows started on them too. 'Damn…everything's gone…everything…I need to get to the…ball palace…quickly.' Mustering up as much energy left in him, Fuske used his gifted teleporting abilities. When he peeked out from his eyes again, he was in front of a massive door. _

_ The pain was too much…he felt his body drain of its blood, he couldn't…no…he had to…He pushed in the door and the first thing that floated into his muffled mind was screaming. _

_ He only had seconds left in this life he had come to love._

_ "He…Help…in…inva..sion…in Norther…n…Lands…they're…" he coughed harshly, blood pouring out of his mouth and wounds now. He took in one last breath and spoke up louder for everyone in the room that moment to hear; "sound the alarm… They've already reached the other lands."_

_ That's all he remembered before darkness enfolded him completely, knowing his death had not been taken completely useless for his village…_

Aneko had to cover her mouth with one hand and bit down on it to keep the scream so desperately crawling up her throat silenced to the real world. Her whole body was shaking, her breathing coming out of her nose harshly. Sweat of fear and unexpected exhaustion beaded on her forehead, warming it up unnecessarily.

A hand landing on her shoulder made Aneko whirl around, ready to attack. But it was just her father, looking at her with calm, worry eyes. "My daughter. You should've not done such a bold act." He said, kneeling down to her level.

Aneko pulled her hand away from the darken wood spot and wrapped both arms around herself, her shaking not fading one bit. She glanced up and saw no other servants curiously looking at her. She leaned into Tadao's warmth, letting out a breath. "I'm sorry, Father…I just…"

"Say no more, Aneko. You had the right to, you knew the risks. I know how it feels. So raw, so…confusing and terrifying all the same" Tadao said, looking down at the stain in the wood, giving it a look as if it was that spot's fault for scaring his daughter's life. He looked at her and saw her sniffling. Tadao smiled sincerely. "Come here." He brought her closer, hugging her with his strong arms. Aneko felt her whole body sag into his protective clutch. She loved her father so much, even if he was always going to be considered a servant by the other Lords and Ladies. He was completely fit for being a Lord, though he had—from what her mother explained to her—dropped down, fearing that his new rank would enrage the Lords and Ladies he's known for so long.

"Father…I never want you to die like this guard, Fuske, had. It would be too much for me. For Mother especially." She whispered, nuzzling into his chest.

He played with a strand of her hair for a moment or two before leaning down and kissing her head. Just like he had done to Amaya when she had been so much younger and abused by her father all those years ago. "I know, I know, Aneko. And I'll try not to die such a way." He said quietly. "Come. You've been slouched over like this for almost a full hour. Let's go and get something to eat, huh?"

She couldn't help it. The phoenix princess started laughing. "Okay, Father. Let's go." Standing up with him, she curled her arm in his and walked out of the room, feeling the air lighten up immensely. Aneko forced herself not to look back at the spot, but a thought prickled in her brain. _'Who was that female shadow? Is she going to come here as well?'_

**Until next time, review and comment!**


	17. Unexpected Outcomes of Love

**I've got no excuse for my absence other than unnecessary and overkill family time. **

**R&R please!**

* * *

The next morning, everyone was ready for departure, though sullen it may be to leave new and old friends for home. The carriages all stood together, though one could see which belonged to land Lords and Ladies. Northern carriages were a richer redwood, Southern being a deep a oak wood brown, East having light birch, and West with maple wood brown.

"Do you think you'll be back for the fall and winter balls, Amaya?" Aneko asked the cougar demoness.

She snorted playfully."Only if Lord Sesshomaru will allow it." she said, glancing over mischievously at the cold demon, who was discussing something with her brother.

Aneko laughed, elbowing her in the ribs softly. "You and Cold Prince over there have a good time. Oh…and send out a notice when you accept his courting of marriage." She whispered the last part into Amaya's ear. Amaya stepped back and gave her a look of mock embarrassment.

"Us? Married? Naw." She waved it off, followed by laughing quietly. When she looked up, she noticed the princess giving her an odd look. "What? Something up?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shaking her head, she gave Amaya a bright smile and waved her hand. "Nothing. I hope you and the children have a safe journey. I'll give my parents your regards, okay?"

"Very well. Nice meeting you Aneko. Hope to see you another day. Bye!" They waved goodbye, walking to their carriages and hopping in. Amaya smiled as Rin and Hayato jumped in with Sesshomaru close behind them.

It took a little longer to get all the servants, Lords, and Ladies into all the carriages, but it was done. They all strolled in the same direction together, keeping a horse's length in-between each carriage. After about two hours of strolling in one giant line on the dirt trail, the path split into four distinctive, separate trails. Each one held their own journeys ahead; to the North; to the South; to the East; and to the West.

Amaya watched many creatures pop their head out of the windows of the carriages to wave their final goodbyes to others. She smirked when Rin and Hayato did it, waving and shouting to the other children and young teenagers they had become friends with. Once they pulled their heads back inside, silence took over in a peaceful manner.

The cougar demoness placed on hand under her chin, gazing lazily out to the meadow their carriage was passing by. A small, smirk emerged on her lips. _'Soon…the time is coming and it's only up to that and the action taken during it.'_ she thought proudly.

A hand resting on her shoulder brought Amaya out of her thoughts. She turned to see Sesshomaru looking at her. He indicated his head over to the children. Amaya held in a giggle when she saw Rin's head lying in Hayato's lap, while Hayato himself leaned his head back and slept in a rather uncomfortable but enduring position.

"It seems to me they've grown far more closer than I recognize to see." She whispered quietly. He nodded, allowing a small smile to float upon his lips. Amaya leaned closer to him. "We have a perfect family, Sesshomaru. You, me, the children. I couldn't have asked for anything better." She sighed, wrapping both arms around his waist. "I love you, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru was shocked by her unexpected announcement, but, then again, he knew she had loved him. He did to her as well. Leaning down, he kissed her lightly on the head. "And I you, Amaya." he said. He felt her shiver underneath his grasp, causing him to proudly smirk. "If you can contain yourself until we reach my castle, then you'll receive a reward maybe later on in the day or tomorrow."

"Oooh, I can wait for that…" She half-whispered, half-purred into his ear. Resting her head on his shoulder, Amaya blissfully closed her eyes, anticipating their arrival at home.

It seemed like an eternity, but eventually the family of four reached the West Palace. The children were practically bouncing the carriage around when they had been only five miles away a few minutes ago. When the carriage driver started to open the door, Rin had jumped out before he could comprehend what was going on, and Hayato had transformed into his cheetah form and bolted after her. By the time Amaya and Sesshomaru had gotten out—in a much calmer fashion—the two young teenagers were almost to the flower garden.

"And there off." Amaya scoffed with humor in her voice. "You couldn't keep those stuck in a cell without coming back to some kind of damage." she joked.

"Not really. You just need to know them." He countered back. He nodded to their escort and walked into his home. Though the trip had been significantly cut short, it feels as if he had been gone for years instead of just two days; the same went for Amaya. Amaya took a deep breath, savoring all the aromas around her.

"Milord! Welcome back. I assume you had a well trip?" A high pitch and annoying voice came down below. Amaya looked down and gave a half disgusted face upon seeing the overly loyal toad demon, Jaken.

"Jaken. Go and watch the children. Any happens to them, it's your head." Sesshomaru replied coldly, not waiting for an answer as he began walking away. Amaya gave Jaken a satisfied smirk before following Sesshomaru's scent. As she drew nearer to his office, Amaya transformed into her cougar, which seemed to be more suitable for now.

His office door was shut, so she proceeded to scratch lightly on it. She chirped happily then purred when he opened the door for her. Amaya took in the office, admiring everything about it, including the large bookshelves surrounding his desk and the balcony edge leading outside. The sun was drifting close to the evening light, sending in warm lazy rays.

"Unfortunately, my love, this Sesshomaru has work to do. This pile must go away before we can do our…_activities._" Sesshomaru stated, eying her like a piece of meat. Amaya purred in response, and decided to take a well deserved nap on one of the side cushions.

The two demons contently went about their business in the room, the only noise being a sigh here and there from Sesshomaru, or his quill feather scribbling something down onto one of the many scrolls and papers on his desk. Amaya twitched every so often in her sleep, purring when she seemed to accomplish her dream activities.

Neither one talked a conversation, too busy with themselves at the moment; which was fine for the time being. When the daiyoukai finally pulled his head up, the sun had well set behind the mountains and hills in the horizon and darkness was slowly enveloping outside. He stood, stretching his neck from hanging it over for such a long period. Sesshomaru glanced over at Amaya and smirked at her. She was half rolled onto her stomach, twitching more frequently.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, but he quickly noticed that they were glazed over. She started yowling in half-pain, half-bliss, as well as rolling on the ground. He was about to ask her what was wrong with her; but her scent nearly sent him down to his knees.

(LEMON!)

Sesshomaru had wondered why she hadn't gone into heat all the other times they had encountered one another. Even when she resided in his castle the first time, he hadn't smelt a hint of her true heat in any shape or form.

_'So she's been holding it in all this time…that's very dangerous. Very… enchanting.'_ His mind was slowly being fogged up by her scent. His eyes started turning red as his inner demon slowly started coming out. He took a step forward, glaring heatedly down at Amaya, when she jumped onto all fours and started hissing. Her eyes glowed a deep yellow, and she spun towards the balcony doors. The latch was pulled down by magic and she jumped outside, landing perfectly on all four paws.

Sesshomaru snarled, feeling his adrenaline pumping faster than he had ever remembered. A hunt; the perfect way to take her. He didn't waver in jumping off the balcony, while transforming into his demonic form and bolted after her.

Amaya smirked when she sensed Sesshomaru chasing after her. The chase and her heat were the only things that could be thought of now; that and the fact that she needed to be mated. She slithered in and around many large trees, rubbing her scent to try getting him confused. But, it had a disadvantage to her; it slowed her down much more than she had anticipated. Suddenly, Amaya yowled as another wave of heat pain floated through her body. She couldn't stop herself from faltering in her steps, arching and panting harshly.

An unexpected large weight crashed head-on onto her back, causing Amaya to fall face first into the grass. When she attempted to struggle, a deep and echoing snarl caused her to freeze in her movements.

"_**Submit, bitch!**_" Sesshomaru boomed. Shaking now, but in excitement, Amaya leaned more into the grass, making her rear arch into his hot member.

Smirking proudly, he slammed himself into her, causing her to yowl into the grass as he began to pound into her viciously. He knew that cats and their mating actions. Males took them multiple times, up until their heat session disappeared and they're pregnant. But, during that time, females lashed out at males once they've imbedded their seed in them, in order to clean themselves up for another round. But this would prove to be very interesting, for he was a dog; dogs knot inside their bitches, regardless if they want it or not.

As he humped her from behind, Amaya hissed from time to time, the pain slowly being overlapped in large waves of pleasure. Her claws ripped at the grass, pulling out clumps. The feeling of him inside of her, taking her like how they both wanted it made her spiral faster into her orgasm. Oh, how she wanted to lash back at him and clean herself up. But the consequences could be deadly, so she let it be. When she started feeling him swell, she yowled out and fell off her cliff into the clouds of indescribable pleasure. The hot feeling was too much as she started twitching and bucking hard.

Sesshomaru roared loudly of his claim and orgasm, sinking his fangs into the junction of her neck and shoulder and marking her as forever his. His knot grew larger and larger till he was very positive that they would not be separated for the remaining evening, into the night, and more likely passed tomorrow morning. Not that he was upset at that. It takes a female cat demoness only a few days to become fully pregnant, so he knew they would have their fun until then.

"Mine." he said, licking her new wound and forcing her down onto her stomach completely. He could feel her tail twitch softly in-between her back and his stomach. He purred to calm her down. "Mine only."

"Yours." She moaned softly, feeling herself quickly being dragged into sleep. Sesshomaru sighed into her soft, short fur, as he, too, fell asleep.

Little did he notice that her markings didn't appear on her fur. They weren't there at all.

For the next four days, it was nothing but feverish courting for the two demons. Amaya would yowl him awake in the morning and late evening when her heat came on again. Through that time, he would claim her over and over again, noting how she unusually like it rough. He wasn't complaining on that though, however he didn't particularly like how she lashes out at him once he removes his manhood from her core.

On the fifth morning, Sesshomaru woke up very sore, but incredibly satisfied nonetheless on his perfect claim. He truly loved Amaya and he had showed her how much he loved her by their mating. He looked over and sniffed the air. The air was filled of their actions, their pleasure and peace; and the scent of new life growing.

_'A quick mother she has become.'_ he thought with a smile. Amaya was resting on one of her sides, revealing a bare belly that was starting to show a little bit of swelling. Sesshomaru knew now that feline demonesses, especially, didn't transform back and forth between their humanoid form and demonic form, for that could severely disable both them and the kits they carried. They were strict on bed-rest and even hunting once they were closer to kitting time. This could be bad news toward Amaya specifically, since he knew that she was a hundred percent hunter.

With his long tail, he pulled her closer to his soft and fluffy fur. Even though he would never say it out loud to his servants, Sesshomaru was very proud of Amaya and their love. He didn't care if their pups and kits were a mix breed, so long as they were theirs and only theirs.

"My mate, my eternal love" He whispered into her ear, licking it soft enough not to wake her. With a final nuzzle, he set his head beside hers and drifted to sleep.

What he didn't know, is that Amaya was smirking very mischievously in her sleep.

"Did you hear?! Did you hear about it?" One of the three female servants said excitedly.

"Yes! Oh my god it so wonderful. She's going to be great for him!" The second servant said.

"What do you mean, girls? What's going on?" The third questioned, clearly confused. Her reward was two simultaneous gasps and scoffs of disbelief.

"Why, the gossip about the West Lord and his new mate and soon-to-be Lady of the West, Amaya!" Servant 2 said quietly, though her voice held back none of her excitement.

"Really?! Oh, this is wonderful news!" Servant 3 squealed, clapping her hands. "Master Tadao would be most happy with this. And Princess Aneko too!"

"And! With a court comes with you know what…" Servant 1 paused, giving the air some tension.

"Heirs to the throne!" Both Servant 2 and 3 said together. "This is a wonderful day for everyone! And knowing Amaya from the ball, she'll take good care of them"

Hearing the servants talk back and forth down below made Aneko smile. Her body was invisible, thanks to a phoenix's natural ability to blend in like a chameleon to her surroundings. Despite her father's objection in "spying" on the servants, Aneko merely did the action because she was bored.

The female servant maids had been gossiping all about what they heard from other servants in the Land of West, North, and South from the past two weeks. Nothing new in the Southern Lands, but in the Northern Lands—from what the maids talked about—they had been invaded by not one, but three shadow groups. Aneko feared that these attacks, which were said to be close to the Eastern Land border with the Northern Lands, would spread closer to her home.

Tadao hadn't said in any of his letter if there had been any invasion attacks yet on Hotashi's lands, but he did say to them on keeping their hopes high and their senses alert for anything out of the ordinary. Her mother had snorted at this, jokingly saying that he "obviously didn't know his wife and daughter enough".

Having enough for now, Aneko dropped down from her secret perch, silently flying over their heads and down the hallway. She kept herself cloaked invisibly as she turned and swerved easily around sharp corners. When she reached her destination, two large doors, she angled her wings so that she flew up and came down, transformed into her humanoid form. Smoothing out her nice white kimono before entering, opened the door and was met with the sight of her mother ready over a scroll, her eyes glazed over in deep thought.

Aneko shut the door softly, but it apparently was loud enough to snap Azumi out of her thinking. Her head bolt up, and she instantly relaxed upon seeing her daughter, leaning back against her chair. "Hello, sweetheart. Is something wrong?" She immediately got to the point, but in a calm voice like always.

The phoenix princess bowed respectfully to her mother. "Sorry for the interruption, Mother, but I was wondering if I could go over to the Southern Lands tonight?" she said. Azumi's eyes widened slightly, but they held very little emotion; only concern. But Aneko knew she was confused and angry.

"Why, Aneko? From what your father has been sending us, everything is fine. Surely you must think otherwise on this, though" She said, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged. "Well, I wanted to see Father, and maybe…see if Haruko needs any help—"

"Absolutely not!" Azumi suddenly hissed, standing up. Her powerful aura was cold with fear and anger. "Haruko would not like to see that, because he might think _we think _that he's not good enough for lordship."

Aneko gasped, balling her hands into fists. "Why would you ever say that about Haruko, Mother?! He's been a loyal alliance to the Southern Lands for many decades, hell since I was born in fact!" She paused, glaring rudely at Azumi. Taking a breath, she started again. "What's going on, Mother? You've never gotten this mad about anything before?"

Azumi stared at her for a long moment before her face suddenly showed the hidden wrinkles of growing exhaustion. She sagged back down and into her chair, running a beautifully manicured hand through her hair. "I'm sorry honey. I didn't need to snap at you. You don't know what going on do ya?" She peaked out from under her hand.

"Is it about the invasions, Mother? They're in the Northern Lands, not here." Aneko guessed out.

"I know that, Aneko. But, from what I'm receiving from both your Father and a few scrolls I've read over, the invasions are far closer than one might want to figure out. If another invasion is started, they'll be on ours and their border. Hundreds of humans and demons have been killed in the six invasion attacks of these…shadow creatures. Several of them being from the Eastern Lands, just visiting the villages allowed on the border. I'm going to reply to Lord Kouga and get this settled out once and for all. If he doesn't accept my stronger peace alliance…then I don't know what to do."

Aneko was shocked at how hopeless her mother seemed right now. Never had she heard Azumi come to the conclusion of the worse. Whenever she said _'I don't know what to do' _the outcome usually led to using army force or something potentially—and unknowingly—worse. "So why can't I go and visit Father or Haruko?"

"Because I'm suspecting the Southern Lands has something about this." Azumi said very flatly.

"What?!" Aneko gasped. "Why? Did Haruko do something wrong? Is Father suddenly distrustful to you now? Why, Mother?!"

"Lower your tone, missy!" Azumi calmly growled, her eyes flashing with warning. "And it has nothing to do with them. It has everything to suspecting Haruko's family."

"Family? You mean Hotashi and his sons and daughters?" Aneko asked.

"Yes. I've had my eyes on them since they were considered _'old enough and wisely trained'_ for the throne by Hotashi. I know they believe everything that mutt has to say, and with things lately being argued among the meeting rooms, I've placed myself on tracking down everything that that man is hiding from not only me, but every other proud and brave leader, lord, or lady in these lands, whether it may be on my land or Kouga's, or anybodies. I just pray to the deceased Lords and Ladies that it's nothing horrible."

"So…you don't want me to fly over because…"

"…it's because I don't trust anyone there any longer, except your Father and Haruko." Azumi confirmed with a _'that's final'_ tone.

Aneko sighed; everything her mother was telling her seemed, and if thought hard enough, logical to believe. Azumi was known for her sharp observing methods, regardless if it's on other Lords and Ladies. At first, it was annoying to them, but overtime it was something they quickly became accustomed to. And she does it for the sake of her lands as well as the safety of her people.

A sudden thought whizzed through Aneko's mind, causing her eyes to widen. "Mother, you never said that Amaya was out of the exception of Haruko's siblings!" She paused, hoping to hear her mother straight on the idea. "Do you…do you actually believe she's not worth trusting?! Mother, we both know she's nothing like them! Why would you think that she's not trustworthy?"

Azumi paused, her face grave. "I cannot and will not speak out my thoughts to you, dear, when they themselves are vague and not convincing enough. Leave me be. And you better not even think of heading over to your Father or Haruko. Is that clear, young lady?"

The phoenix demoness stared long and hard at her mother before sighing tiredly. "Yes, ma'am." She said, then walked out of the room, slamming the door relatively hard. Her whole body shook with rage and the feel of being betrayed by the one who had conceived her, who had loved her and protected her with her life. A few servants passed by, each one kindly asking if she was doing alright. Each time, though she wanted to bit their heads off with harsh retorts, Aneko held back, gave them fake smiles and told them she was fine.

Walking on heavy feet, Aneko kept replaying her mother's explanations of the invasions and her opinion on the Southern Lands' heirs. _'Surely Amaya has nothing to do with the invasions! She just got back with Sesshomaru, and now they've finally proclaimed their love for one another!' _She thought with a touch of envy. _'Oh, how I wish I was her right now; having a family that's slowly growing bigger, a mate that will surely and very soon announce her as the new Lady of the West through marriage, and nothing to worry about.'_

Aneko stopped in her tracks, being only a few feet from her bedroom door. Her heart thumped harder against her chest. _'Wait…wha…what if that's a shadow's dream. A goal…no…impossible…'_

Her head felt dizzy with the argument she was having with herself. Shaking her head, Aneko could sense a headache coming up. _'I can't wait! I have to speak to Father! I need his opinion on all of this. He's far closer to Hotashi's secrets than anyone else. Haruko can help too.'_

Though she hated—even despised—betraying her own mother's words on staying away from the Southern Lands, Aneko couldn't stop feeling a sense of understanding on Azumi's skeptical thoughts on Amaya nowadays. The cougar demoness seemed almost too eager to be with Sesshomaru and now she was bearing their children, his mate, and going to be the Lady of the West. Aneko growled lowly before opening her bedroom door and entering.

She didn't stay long in the room, for she then went over to her balcony doors and walked outside. She made sure to lock the latch behind her carefully before facing the beautiful afternoon sun. It was high in the sky, glowing powerful heat rays down on her and the Feudal Lands. Taking in a deep breath, Aneko savored the many free scents in the air; all except one.

The mixed scents of various blood types and the obvious decaying of skin and muscle. Though it was very faint, it sent bile up Aneko's throat, causing her to gag. Swallowing it back down disgustingly, the demoness peered out farther, shielding her eyes from the bright sunrays. In the far distance, she could see transparent and vanishing smoke clouds billowing up into the air. Vultures circled around that specific location, their noses drawn to the smell of death and a free meal.

_'Disgusting creatures.'_ she thought, wrinkling her nose at the thought of eating decaying meat. Then her mind turned to a different idea. _'Hmm…perhaps I should go and check this out. Mother never said anything of flying over to the burned villages. Maybe I can find some clues.'_ Looking behind herself first, Aneko jumped off from her balcony edge, transforming into her black phoenix form and soaring proudly into the skies.

She peered down at the ground below, flying higher till even forests around her were just small specks. The closest village was another hundred miles away. On foot running, Aneko could've gotten there within a day and a half, maybe less if she was in a real rush. By sky, it would only take a few hours of riding the southeastern wind currents.

With a cluster of black feathers, Aneko had to make sure her body temperature stayed as normal as possible. So she dove and cooled herself off with the wind and an occasional quick soak in water. It felt nice to freshen up in a fun, free way.

Aneko started closing in rapidly on Chiwa Village as the sun was now starting to set over the horizon hills and mountains. Beautiful rays of mixed warm colors appeared in the sky, giving the landscape a calm, but breathtaking view. She descended lower till she was just a few feet above the ground. She didn't break her stride as she turned into her humanoid form.


	18. Comforting Injuries, Bessing Death

At the sight of Chiwa Village, Aneko slowed down significantly before she entered the village's entrance. Two stiff but noticeably exhausted guards were standing on each side of the entrance. They looked down at her and glared coldly.

"State your entrance. If it's for travelling or merchant buying, leave now or else." The first guard said, his voice icy with irritation and held back anger. Apparently, she wasn't the first visitor to Chiwa Village.

"I'm Princess Aneko of the Eastern Lands. Let me in, please" She added politely. "I'm here to inspect how things are going."

"Well, you can leave, because there's not much for you to look at, princess." the second guard snapped harshly. "You and Lady Azumi haven't done anything to help and neither has Lord Kouga. And they say you are '_good and caring Lords and Ladies_'. Feh!" He spat out venom words. It hurt Aneko to hear such words, but more so of the distrust the invasions and stress level has made everyone.

"Well, I'm going in whether you like it or not. I'm here to actually help. Lady Azumi is trying to narrow down her suspects in these invasions, sirs. A good day to you" She said, jumping into the air and flying over their heads. She landed again, her feathers rustling in annoyance and hurt.

She looked around and winced at the stronger scents of decaying flesh. It was at the point that it nearly made her throw up. Bodies still laid among the dirt grounds, people still trying to cope up with the major lost of their friends and potential families. Children were crying in their hands as some bodies were covered up with cloth. A man walked by Aneko and she called to get his attention. "Excuse me, sir!"

He looked at her. His hair was patchy with wounds dried with his blood. Dull hazel eyes looked down at her and his brown kimono was missing parts from it. "Can I help you?" Even his voice seemed all but hopeless too.

"Yes, I'm here to help. But…can you tell me what… happened here?" Aneko asked, pausing to look around pitifully at the damage dealt to the village.

"We were attacked by mysterious shadow things. They were quick and smart about their decisions here. They held no mercy whatsoever about who they killed. They…they…killed my own two daughters and my wife…and I'm all alone now." He choked up on his words, his eyes growing watery. Aneko knew every man's ego wouldn't let them cry, it was who they were. Men didn't want to let others see how upset they were or let others think they look "weak". But this; this was the sign of an utterly shattered man, and it torn her heart.

Aneko smiled sadly and placed a hand his shoulder. She bowed her head low and sighed softly. "I'm truly sorry, sir. But… you're not truly alone. You have friends and people you know that need you as much as you need them right now. They need all the help they can get right now. Do you think your wife and children would want you to mourn forever on them, when they know other families need support of others?"

"…No…they wouldn't. Thank you so much, for trying to cheer me up. And you're right. Will you…will you help us too in this?" The man asked.

Relieved and happy now, Aneko smiled brighter. "Sure thing. Come on, let's go and get things cleaned up for the night."

o / o / o / o

Night slowly started taking over the evening, as well as the village. Thankfully, everyone cheered up and got more done than they had anticipated. Grass woven together in large bunches were placed upon the burnt or partially destroyed huts in order to keep people sheltered better from any night wind or the potential night rain.

Many of the children were checked up on their wounds and get fixed up. Even babies had wounds on their cheeks and heads, which made Aneko's heart clench. Children were scared to even leave the healer's hut, fearing that another invasion would come and kill them and others. Elders took the care in making sure they had some adult protection, thought little it may be, and told them stories to keep the children occupied from fear.

Men and women who weren't severely injured helped carry out bodies to a pile of bodies that Aneko directed them to place them in. Some were angry, others were confused, but she promised to show what she believe was right. When the pile was well over four feet tall, Aneko told them to back away.

"What's the meaning of this?!" A village man shouted angrily. "Are trying to torture us even more by showing the true damage?" Many villagers mumbled and nodded in agreement.

Aneko shook her head as she flew above them. "I'm going to cremate them." Villagers began to protest, but she was faster. "Please, understand logically here! If we just leave them in the ground, the ground will die out, and more than likely the vultures above all of us will dig them out and eat them. However, if we cremate their bodies quickly, no more pain is left upon them in this world and their ashes will fertilize and bring more life to this area. Ashes are very rich in nutrients, and think of it this way: your friends and family members will be doing one last good thing in this world."

They thought her words over, slowly but surely nodding with convincing results. "Very well." one female demon villager said. "Just make it as quick as possible."

"Quick is my middle name, ma'am." Aneko joked a little. She landed in front of the pile, grimacing at the foul stench of death flowing off of the bodies. _'I hope this works right. I haven't been training proper for a while.'_ She prayed.

She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nostrils slowly, exhaling slow as well. Aneko reached deep inside her gizzard, sensing the sleeping flames that flickered every so often. She pushed herself closer and touched it, awakening the true fire inside her. Aneko's outer tail feathers and wingtips blazed softly with white fire. Taking one last breath, the phoenix chanted out;

_**"Scorching depths. As you dance, give me now the secret glance. Call upon my second sight. Make me intuitive. Make me clairvoyant. Change my mind. Scorching depths, give me now the second sight. **__**Divine these people within eternal and peaceful flames.'' **_

As if someone had snapped their fingers, the pile burst into flames so hot, the villagers had to back away several feet and were already sweating. Aneko spread her wings wide open, and the bodies separated one by one before being burnt to ashes. The fire slowly fell to nothing but embers on the ashes, which fluttered to the ground till there were separated ash piles. Nothing of the previous bodies was left in sight.

Aneko blew out steam from her nostrils as her fire dwindled back into her body and calm down. Opening her eyes, she smiled at her work so far. She peered behind her and saw the villagers were all flabbergasted at her actions. Not that she was surprised to see them shocked; she'd shocked her mother when she learned to fly much young than expected.

Facing the ash piles again, she walked towards them and inspected all of them. Using her talons, she dug holes half a foot deep each and pushed the ashes into each on before covering them up. Bowing her head, Aneko softly whispered, "May the spirits and angels among us guide you to sanctuary."

Something lukewarm and wet dripped down on her head. It startled her for a second, but she recovered and looked up to see rain falling from the sky. Thank goodness for the grass sewn together for the night on the roofs. Aneko noticed the night air hadn't grown awfully thick with perspiration, but she guessed the rain would go on for as a small sprinkle for the rest of the night.

"Let's head in for the night everyone. Your friends and family members are released from any more pain and now reside in peaceful slumbers." She said with a relieved smile, both to see the villagers not in as much grief and mourning anymore, and that her powers had worked. As she followed the men and women back into the village, she glanced back, only to smile at the sight of small buds already emerging out from their holes.

The phoenix princess resided on top of a hut roof that was still somewhat intact, not bothered at all by the raindrops coating her feathers. She let out a tired sigh, which blew up in a transparent cloud. _'I'm so dead by Mother when I get the chance to head home. But I'm still not finished with my objective. I need to get to Father and question him about what's going on.'_ Aneko thought begrudgingly.

"Psst! Princess!" A raspy voice pulled her from thinking. Looking down the ledge of the hut house, she saw the same man from before who had lost his family. Quickly but quietly, Aneko flew down and landed on a pole that was a few inches taller than man.

"Yes? Is something wrong, sir?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. The man fidgeted for a few seconds, as if debating whether or not he should tell her what was on his mind.

Finally, he spoke up. "I remembered something that I should've told you before, when you arrived here at least." Aneko nodded, completely understanding what he was saying. She knew that many people, while they're in severe trauma or mourning, they tend to forget important or even little things at the moment. It wasn't uncommon, so it didn't upset her. He continued. "I remember where the shadows had gone off to. They attacked this village and the village a few miles from here, before heading northwest"

"Northwest? But that's the direction to the Grand Ball Palace. Why would they go in that direction?" She chirped in a confused tone. _'It makes no sense! These creatures are basically attack villages upon sight and then suddenly disappear. And now things are growing even more confusing.'_

"Beats me, princess. But I would highly suggest checking it out. Rumors spreading that these monsters are aiming at only the bordering villages right now. That could end up very dangerous for the Lords and Ladies and tension could spark higher." The man said slowly.

Aneko bowed her head thankfully. "I truly appreciate the information given to me by you. It serves important usage. If things are getting worse, then I must go after these shadow creatures and see them out. Thank you so much." She said, turning on her tail and soaring into the air. "May the Gods guide your village to safety!" She called back to the man. Aneko knew something bigger was going on, but for the moment, she had to get to the palace as quickly as she could. She had a gizzard turning feeling that whatever was actually going on, it was only getter worse.

It seemed to take less time to reach the Ball Palace, probably because Aneko was flapping her wings harder and faster than before. She could feel inside her mind something pulling her towards the palace in an urgent kind of way. She wasn't going to stop so easily for doubts at this point in life.

She kept flying through the wind current about a good thousand feet off the ground for another several minutes. The gray clouds above and around her were cold to the touch when she flew through them, but Aneko pushed the shivering feeling away and flew downwards to the palace.

Aneko spotted the location where she and Amaya had rested the night they had first met. Angling her wings more, Aneko braced herself for a somewhat unorganized land. It came a little quicker than expected, causing her to flap more for balance. Once she regained it, she jumped down into the attic and then the hidden off room.

The phoenix felt uneasy entering a deathly quiet palace during a drizzle. Everything was dull, empty, lifeless and dark as well. The clouds outside didn't help in the least. Pushing the coil of fear away, Aneko flew down the staircase and stopped in midair when she reached the room where she, Haruko, Amaya, and Sesshomaru had danced in. It was cold with a silence that could make any demon nervous.

_'Okay, if I'm looking for any kind of clues of a shadow monster being here, where would I start?'_ Aneko looked about, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Growling, she began searching the entire palace with slow precaution. From the kitchen, dance room, and main entryway, to the many room upstairs and the attic again, Aneko saw no evidence of a shadow being there. She hadn't even felt anything during her search.

Sighing, she collapsed against one of the indoor marble pillars, exhausted for the night. She guessed it was around one in the morning now, considering nothing else made a single noise, both inside and outside of the palace. Her wings were growing sore from the constant flying, even her feet ached from bouncing from place to place.

_'Maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places for clues…'_ she thought tiredly. 'But, _even if I am, where is the right place for a full answer? Nothing here gives me anything, and I sure as hell know now that there probably isn't at the Southern Palace either. Damnit, maybe Father doesn't even know what's going on and doesn't have an answer for everything.'_

The sound of wings flapping almost inaudibly rang through the quiet air. It was coming from outside, and it was growing closer. Aneko, ignoring her sore wings, flew into the air and up onto the pillar behind her and vanished from eyesight. She held her breath, forcing her heartbeat to slow down as she waited.

She crept back further when she didn't hear the flapping sound again. Instead, it was replaced with deep steps that came from large boots more than likely. Despite herself, Aneko could feel her heart beat faster, adrenaline pumping through her tiny form. Anything could happen in the next few seconds; she could die, her intruder could die, hell both of them could die together. However, she believed that whoever it was would give her some kind of reason first.

Footsteps were getting closer, but kept the same calm stride as before. Aneko tensed her shoulder muscles up and braced herself. Little closer…closer…just a few more…

She was completely grateful she had patience for another few seconds. But, then again, Aneko couldn't stop a sharp intake of air when she recognized who walked into the palace. "F-Father?!"

**Before anyone questions my sanity (which some may have already done) most birds have a gizzard (look it up if ya don't know already!) It helps with their digestive system. I won't say much about it in this story, cause it holds no purpose whatsoever to the rest of the story –shrugs- The next chapter will be up soon! Until then!**


	19. Tailing the Unsolved Mystery

_**Previous:**_

_Footsteps were getting closer, but kept the same calm stride as before. Aneko tensed her shoulder muscles up and braced herself. Little closer…closer…just a few more…_

_ She was completely grateful she had patience for another few seconds. But, then again, Aneko couldn't stop a sharp intake of air when she recognized who walked into the palace. "F-Father?!"_

Her squawk resonated through the room. Tadao looked around, only to see nothing; but he could feel her still. "Aneko, you get down here this instant." He said, his usual calm voice now a cold order. He wasn't happy to see her.

Gulping nervously, Aneko obeyed and came down from her pillar and transformed to her humanoid form. "Father, what are you doing here—"

"—I should be asking you that, young lady. Your mother is worried sick about your disappearance. Why did you come here?" He said, surprisingly in a calmer tone. "You had me worried. For a second I thought you were…"

"Father, forgive me please for abandoning Mother's orders to stay home, but I was actually coming in search of you. I needed to know what is going on outside of my Mother's lands, and I thought you would have some answers. Mother's growing to the point of now distrusting the Southern Lands, as well as Amaya!" Aneko paused, looking at her Father with hope. "Please tell me…tell me you don't believe the same, Father." she pleaded softly.

Tadao, under his brown cloak, clenched his fist together, his face showing concentration. But it all vanished and was replaced by weariness and the slow upcoming of age. "Sadly, my dearest daughter, I do."

"WHAT?!" She screeched, loud enough to crack a few of the windows. But Tadao didn't budge from her outburst. "How…How could you, Father?! She's a good friend to us all and you have doubts on her? Why?! Why do you think she is a criminal here? Haruko must think otherwise about this."

"Haruko and I have both agreed upon these terms, Aneko. Amaya isn't who she is. You know this too." Tadao said, not breaking eye contact with his daughter. Aneko opened her mouth to protest, but she was stuck; he was right, she did believe that Amaya wasn't herself.

"How can _you_ be so sure, Father? What's your reason behind it?" She said hoarsely.

"Though I have not told you yet about my true past, this is it. I was both Haruko's and Amaya's caretaker when they were a pup and cub. Amaya doesn't just stroll in for a fast courtship; that isn't her. For years, I learned the real Amaya on the inside, not from the outside and her history. I trusted and loved her for who she was. This person," His face scrunched up in slight disgust "…_this fake_ Amaya is too quick, too eager for a mating session with Sesshomaru. When I heard the news, my doubts were confirmed for real. Haruko's too. Surely you must've seen some things odd about her, right Aneko?"

Aneko gave in to Tadao's both logical and illogical reasoning. "Yes, I have. At the party she was telling me that she had some things to do before she could even play with the children. I thought it was odd, because you would think a loving mother-figure like Amaya would avoid her business in order to make children happy first."

"Case in point to mine, Aneko. Whoever this person is, they took Amaya's place for some kind of reason."

"I can think of some reasons; if fake Amaya receives the title as 'Lady of the West' she has power she didn't have before. Not only that, fake Amaya is now conceiving Sesshomaru's pups and her kits. That's a lot of successes so far, Father. And whatever _'business'_ she had to attend before, I want to know what kind it was."

"Very well." Tadao fell silent for a few moments. "Come with me."

"Wait, what? Are you taking me back to Mother?" She didn't want to leave her mission yet. Luckily, her father turned and gave her a smirk.

"Why would I? We're going to find the real Amaya. Are you coming?" The crow demon didn't wait for her, turning on his heels and walked outside. Behind him, Aneko grin widely before catching up to him. Once out in the light night drizzle, both of them transformed into their demonic forms. Aneko had to admit, she'd never seen her father in his form. Now she knew why her mother fell for him. Tadao was bigger and more muscular in the chest area than the average crow may be. He wasn't a raven; ravens were noisier than crows, despite many objections on that issue. Aneko was proud to have her father's crow genes in her phoenix form, because it makes things relatively easier.

Both birds took flight, banking high into the night air. Tadao glided in midair for a few minutes, looking around the palace acres. "So where should we start?" Aneko chirped, tilting her head to the left.

Tadao squinted, his gaze locking onto the forest area. Something prickled in his mind with suspicion. "Where did you say before that Sesshomaru and Amaya had emerged from the night they had disappeared?" he cawed.

"That forest over there." With one wing, Aneko pointed in the same direction he was looking at. "Do you think we should start there?"

"No. I _know_ we need to start there. Follow me!" The prickling in the back of his wise brain was becoming more like an itch that wouldn't go away, no matter how many times one would scratch at it. Tadao angled his wings so that he would dive in a half-drop, till he was just five feet above the ground level. Aneko flapped after him eagerly, not wanting to miss out on anything.

Tadao flew up onto a branch, moving aside for his daughter to land too. Aneko knew well enough not to break her father's observation senses with questions. She looked around under the tree leaves that shielded them partially from the rain for anything out of place again. The phoenix demoness cooed, and saw something very small move. She didn't know if it was an insect or just a bird searching for safety, but she knew it wasn't something big and dangerous. _'Then again…small things are deadly, as Mother would always say.'_ She mentally shuddered at the memory.

There it was again! Aneko's curiosity spiked when she could've sworn on seeing more than just one moving through the darkened landscape. Unable to contain herself any longer, Aneko dropped out of the tree and flew in the direction of the mysterious semi-invisible objects fluttering in the air. Every so often, she would stop in the air and look around, only to find that the objects were moving away from her, almost as if guiding her. "Father! This way!" She called behind her loudly.

Aneko flew over a large bush and halted in her tracks, gasping accidently. _'This must be where Amaya spent some time with Lord Sesshomaru on that night!'_ The large pond rippled when any rain droplets fell onto its surface, making light **'plip-plop' **noises. Aneko looked around to see the objects in the air still fluttering about. She then heard closing in flapping. Tadao quickly joined her as she landed on a branch.

"Spectacular…" he breathed in awe, moving closer to the phoenix princess. Then his voice grew more serious. "I can sense something here, though it's very faint." He reported, looking around and spotted the cave. "Let's go in there, my darling."

"Okay." Both of them were off again, but quickly landed on the stony ground of the cave. "Whoa! Cool." Aneko giggled when her voice rang off the cave walls. "Could Amaya be in here?"

"Hmm…I don't sense her anymore than when the one time she and Sesshomaru came here, sweetheart." Tadao spoke carefully. "Something is very wrong here."

"What do you mean, Father?" Aneko chirped.

"Whenever Amaya would be hiding or hunting, she would keep her presence and scent blocked off to the rest of the world. But now I can only sense a part of her. That means that she's semi-conscious, or just knocked out. It's not unusual if in a palace. But here…no, something must've hurt her in order for me to barely sense her. Something very dangerous. You search here, I'll search in farther, okay?"

" 'Kay." She said, getting straight to work. She could smell the vague and old scent of two distinctive scents. No hint of heat or pleasurable actions coated the ground or cave walls. "Father! I think Sesshomaru and Amaya slept here just one night, but nothing big happened."

"Same back here!" He said louder from farther in. "There's hair back here, but only in a circular area, indicating that they slept here for sure. Plus, their scents are stronger back here. Caves with deeper areas hold scents longer than when closer your location, Aneko. Keep searching for something."

For the next twenty minutes, Aneko looked in every crack, nook, and spectacle to not find anything else other than a few hair tufts that smelt of Amaya or Sesshomaru. She was growing more and more frustrated the less and less she couldn't find something out of place. Sighing, Aneko felt like giving up for the night. _'We found a good place, but we still need firmer clues. Damnit.'_ She cursed at herself. Suddenly, the phoenix demoness had an idea pop into her head.

"Father! Come here, quickly!" She chirped loudly. Within a few seconds, Tadao was next to her, looking frantic.

"Are you okay? Did you find something, Aneko?" he said in a hasty rush.

"No, but I do have an idea. I'm going to use my powers to see what happened on that night. Maybe we'll find something better in it." Aneko explained, her voice on the edge of excitement. Tadao knew she loved finding something new.

"Well…okay, dear." he said slowly. "But I want you to pull out of the thoughts if anything painful happens. The last time nearly got you bad. I don't want you to go crazy yet in your young life."

Scoffing, Aneko turned around and changed back again, kneeling in front of a tuff of fur on the ground. She picked it up and rubbed it in-between her fingers. "I'll tell you what happens, Father." She said sleepily as her mind drifted off into the memories of that night…

(Flashback)

_Amaya growled tiredly hearing the birds' voices ring quietly into the cave, but it seemed so much louder for her and it irritated her to no end. Knowing it was useless to try falling back to sleep, she got up, stretching her forelegs with a long yawn. Feeling alive and ready to go, she stopped when she noticed Sesshomaru still in his dog form and still sleeping. She smiled when he twitched his back paw, indicating he was more than likely dreaming of something around hunting food. Not wanting to wake him up, Amaya tip-toed very quietly out of the cave, glancing back every so often to see if she had disturbed him._

_ When she did leave the cave, Amaya purred contently at the sight of the lake sparkling in radiating sunlight. Morning dew covered the moist grass, while the trees swayed in a semi-warm breeze. Tilting her head up, the cougar demoness could still smell out some source of rain. '_Wonder if there's more to come.'_ She thought. _

_ Amaya walked over to the pond's edge and started lapping up the water with her delicate pink tongue. She shivered involuntarily when she felt the cold water flow down her throat. As she drank up her fill, she failed to recognize the disturbance in the air. However, Amaya did hear the sound of a twig snapping behind her. Freezing at what she was doing, the cougar glanced behind her shoulder, confused when she didn't sense a presence anywhere around her. '_A trickster who's blocking their scent from me.' _She thought. Keeping her senses fully alert, Amaya looked around her, but she didn't hear, smell, or taste anything. _

_ The next she knew, she was sent slamming into the water with a loud splash. The force of impact stunning her and causing her to gasp, taking in a lungful of water instead of air. Choking on the water, Amaya rolled in the water and kicked up to the surface, coughing in water more than air once she broke through it. Before she had time to complete her recovery, she was attacked by the form attacked her again. Her mind screamed, _'It's that shadow creature!'_ But it didn't matter as she was practically maimed with deep wounds by its fangs and claws. _

_ But she wasn't going down so easily. Snarling out into the water, Amaya raked at its face and punched it in the stomach, causing the shadow to engulf a large amount of water. Amaya felt her vision blur as her body screamed for air. Suddenly, she felt her entire body being pierced by something invisible, and sharp. She couldn't stop herself from screaming out into the water, causing bubbles to float rapidly up to the surface. _

_ Then, all went black, numb, and empty…_

(End of Flashback)

Aneko gasped, being thrown back out into reality. She shook her head, dizzy from the feeling of not breathing for a long period of time. Her throat also felt bruised up and stung every intake of air. _'How…that's impossible…' _

"My dear, what's wrong?" Tadao asked worriedly, holding Aneko's shoulder. "I told you not to push yourself and get hurt."

"That's not what's wrong, Father." Aneko growled, her mind clearing up from the blurriness of Amaya's memory. "Amaya…she…her memory just…stopped. Even if she had been unconscious, the next memory should've been right when she woke up. I sensed nothing. Everything was gone, just like that." She snapped her fingers together. "I've never experienced or heard of memories just vanishing when they're still alive. It's almost as if…" Aneko's voice trailed off abruptly.

"Like what? I'm confused." He had an idea, but Tadao prayed to the Kami's that it wasn't that case at all.

"…As if her very being was wiped off this Earth, Father. Like she's…dead in that form." Aneko choked out, feeling hot tears edging up into her eyes.

_'No! Amaya can't be dead. But how? The memories say it all. She just…vanished; and now is replaced by some other creature!' _

"I won't believe it!" Tadao suddenly barked. The crow demon stood erect and stormed out of the cave into the night. He rubbed a hand over his face, holding back his tears as well. Even of what his daughter is speaking as the truth, the prickling feeling in his mind would not go away. It only got more annoying. "She can't be dead."

"Then where the hell could she be, Father?!" Aneko cried out angrily. "Amaya isn't here and her memory doesn't lie. It's not possible."

"I won't have it like that, Aneko!" He argued back, glaring at his daughter. "She's not dead, I know it. Amaya isn't the kind to die so easily and simply. We need—" He stopped talking.

"We need to what, Father?" Aneko hissed. But Tadao wasn't listening anymore. His sight was locked on something ahead of him. Being behind him, Aneko couldn't see whatever it was that he saw, so she walked around him. What anger that was left in her evaporated into pure awe.

Apparently, while they had been searching for clues, the rain outside had stopped, leaving a thin layer of mist floating in the air. Adding onto the eerie beauty was the floating object, which were actually fireflies, started glowing in orange or lime-green hues around the large pond. _'Breathtaking.'_ Was all Aneko could think at the second.

The two of them stared at the view for what seemed like an eternity. Aneko then noticed a few fireflies moving out of the circling motion around the forest and dropped down just to touch the pond's surface. That's when she saw something in the water. "What's that?" She whispered out loud.

She went over to the pond edge, squinting unnecessarily at the object. More and more fireflies started hovering over it, as if giving Aneko a sign. Aneko's eyes went wide. "Father! It's a body!" She exclaimed, moving to the far right side of the pond. She was right; the closer she got to it, the more and more it appeared like a body bobbing up and down barely in the water.

Tadao, now back into his crow form, flew over to the fireflies grouping up. He could see a black head limply hanging underwater. "I'll drag it closer, so get ready!" He announced. The crow demon latched both feet onto the very thick and wet fur before pulling it towards Aneko. The fireflies moved away from him, but didn't disappear from around the two bird demons as they brought the body onto shore.

Aneko grunted as she pulled it on shore, only to gasp at the deep gashes and wounds spread around it. Some were so severe that she could see blackening bones under infected fur and muscles. She looked the body over, assuming that it was long gone and dead considering the chest didn't heave up and down.

The body was a large black wolf, probably a little bigger than Amaya's cougar form.

And it was breathing, but so shallow and light that its chest area didn't move.

"It lives! It lives, my darling!" Tadao cawed in relief. "I'll go and grab herbs, while you carry it back into the cave, understand?" He didn't wait for her reply, taking off into the sky again. Sighing, Aneko lift the wolf body up and carried it carefully into the cave, setting it down.

Truly, she didn't know why her father even thought for a second that this creature was alive. It held no physical signs of life, more than likely this wolf had drowned. Aneko went to touch its fur, when she heard a terrifying hissing noise coming from the wolf. Shrieking, she backed away, holding her hand close to her chest. _'Oh Kami…'_ She thought, staring fearfully at the creature.

Flapping of wings made Aneko look up. She stood up, waving her arms at her father urgently. "Father, do not go in there!"

"Why?" Tadao said, his beak filled with leaves while he had bundles of herbs in his talons.

"That wolf thing is a shadow! We need to leave, now!"

**Dun-Dun-DUUH! Hehe…another cliffhanger for another good chapter. R&R until next time! ;)**


	20. Unfolding the Truth

**I couldn't help but smirk at how some people were eager for the next chapter, since I can make hideously good cliffhangers (no bragging there). **

**Here's Chapter 20! Enjoy!**

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"That wolf thing is a shadow! We need to leave, now!"

"What?" Tadao chirped as he flew into the cave.

"Dad! That monster will kill you if you try healing it!" Aneko pleaded. "Stay away from that beast—"

"Even so, Aneko, we still need to help it. I honestly don't care whether it is a shadow creature or not; it's hurt, and I've been trained to help the injured. Just like Amaya. We'll stop our searching for now and focus on healing this wolf. Now come." His voice proved that their argument was over for now. Grumbling a few curses she knew Tadao could hear her, Aneko followed him inside.

o / o / o / o

She was on fire. She was sure of it. But then again, she believed she was inside a frozen glacier. Everything started numb, like an annoying rub that wouldn't go away. It continued all over her body, rubbing her skin in opposite directions. It was unbearable, but she couldn't do anything about it; she couldn't move, almost as if her body was in some kind of hypnotic control. She swore to her own body that she had been dealt a few wounds, causing her to wonder why she couldn't feel the scorching pain yet.

It came, but in such a force that she wanted to scream out, to yowl and thrash about to attempt relieving it. Sadly, she couldn't do any of that, her voice seemed lost with her ability to move. She couldn't hear either! Nor smell anything, not even her own blood which was shed by that beast. The fire grew worse by consuming her inside first before painfully moving out. Gladly, she could think still. Unfortunately, she still felt pain and agony beyond any words to be placed in.

Then, as if someone had snapped his or her fingers, the pain went away. Just like that. She didn't feel like herself anymore, as if she had been switched out into a dark hole of endless numb. However, every now and then, she felt something being place on her. She wanted to look, but her eyes were shut. The movement was soothing upon all the pain as it slowly made it all go away. She was relieved on that, but she then felt empty and alone when the feeling was gone.

She didn't know how long she was just falling, but she quickly mustered a push towards consciousness. It was calling to her, and she wanted to respond. Her body slowly started to awaken awkwardly to her commands of moving. Her voice, noises, and smell came afterwards.

Opening her drowsy eyes, she was met with blurriness for several minutes. When her vision cleared up enough, she was met with the icy glare of a bird. A black phoenix to be a little precise. But that bird looked familiar nonetheless. Then it clicked in her brain. "A…Aneko?" Even when her mind tumbled out that one word, her throat was a desert, so parched and scratchy to anyone who could hear her.

The phoenix hissed, puffing her ashy black feathers up till she appeared twice her original size. Now she regretted saying anything; she may've felt superior physically to the bird, but the power and anger flowing off of the black phoenix's body and scent made her cower in fright.

"How do you know my name, _shadow?!_" It finally spoke, but even her words were like icicle daggers impaling themselves in her sore body. Her question sounded more of a sharp and demanding command. "Are you faking your injuries?"

"Wha…What? What are you…talking about…Aneko?" She replied confusingly. "It's me…it's me…Amaya…" That name even sounded eerie to her mouth; almost alien. This made her even more scared.

_'What's wrong with me? That's my name…right?'_

"The Amaya I know isn't a shadow, pest!" Aneko countered threateningly. She sounded hostile, not willing to believe anything she said in the most remote way. "Answer me! How do you know my name and are you a spy for other rogue shadows?"

"No! I told you…it's me, Amaya!"

"You sound hesitant on that, shadow. You're lying—"

"No I'm not!" She barked harshly, feeling a snarl crawl its way up her throat. "I'm hesitant because I can hardly remember who I am! But I know my name is Amaya!"

"Oh? And how are you so sure?"

"Because you were my best friend, Aneko! You accepted me for who I was and never even questioned it. What the hell is wrong with you?!" She stopped to cough roughly. She looked up again helplessly. "You were so zealous about having me as a friend. You always reminded me how you're just like Azu."

Aneko gasped. No one ever called her mother that name; everyone was afraid of getting hurt by Azumi if they call her that nickname. Not even Tadao called Azumi it after she was crowned Lady of the East. "No…it can't…be…you can't be Amaya!" Aneko squawked. "Amaya isn't a beast like you!"

Grunting, she pulled herself up on her forelegs slowly. "What are you talking about, Aneko?" She asked. Seeing Aneko's disbelieving gaze, she started doubting her appearance. She noticed a puddle of rainwater not too far from her spot. Carefully, she stood up, biting back yelps from the pain of her wounds. Her breath was labored by the time she got over to the puddle, all of seven feet away.

She looked down, and her stomach turned to stone. Looking back at her was the reflection of a hideous shadowy wolf. Her fur was patchy in many areas, she assumed in the locations of her wounds. She could visibly notice many scars on her body, like she had been in many fights and battles prior to being knocked out. Perfectly round, moon-shaped and white eyes stared back, with no pupils in them.

This wasn't the Amaya she proclaimed to be once. Aneko was right; she was a beast, a shadow.

A _monster_.

"No…No…this isn't me!" She screamed, unable to look away from the reflection. "Oh Kami…what's happened to me? I'm…I'm a shadow! No! I should be a cougar. Where are my markings. Where's _me_?!" She howled out, tears falling from her white eyes.

"Amaya?"

She spun her head towards the voice. "Tadao!" She gasped, running limply over to the crow perched above her. He landed down on the ground and threw his wings around her ragged neck. "Oh, brother! It's been too long!"

"It has been, my darling."

"Tadao, what's happening?! Why I'm this…this…"

"Wolf? Canine? Dog?"

"This shadow monster!" She growled. Her ears flattened when he chuckled. "What the hell is so funny about this, Tadao? This is serious!"

"I know it is, love. But it's amusing that you've not realized that this isn't your true body."

"What do you mean, Father? This wolf isn't Amaya." Aneko said, flapping over to her father's side. "I don't trust her."

"Can't blame you for that, sweetheart. But I say that this is Amaya. She bears everything that I remember of her. Mentally wise that is."

"So how is this not my true body, not that I'm disagreeing with your opinion, Tadao?" Amaya said quickly. Tadao looked her over and sighed through his nostrils.

"You've been altered, body wise and probably power wise too. Only shadows originally have the power to change bodies with a prey, but it's very deadly for both of creatures, sadly. A shadow host analyzes their prey's personality and appearance and can take their looks away from them, but must give up their body to the prey in exchange. Many times the real shadows get away with it because no one trusts a shadow at anytime, and the prey inside the shadow's original body gets killed. To shadows, it a deadly win-win solution. Do you remember anything of what happened before we came and rescued you?"

"Yes! I was attacked by the shadow I met in a forest not too far from the Grand Ball Palace and here actually. She must've turned me into this…beast." Amaya insulted her appearance. Closing her orbs, she let out a choked whimper. "What's going to happen to me, Tadao? Am I going to die so easily?"

"We won't let that happen to you, Amaya. _I _won't let that happen. Not again, not ever." Tadao vowed, placing his wing under her chin to make her look at him. "I promise on my li—"

"No, please don't, Tadao!" She suddenly bit in, tears falling from her moon eyes. "My mate had said the same thing, and he had perished in the end. Tadao, you're all that's left of him and, though it may sound stubborn, I can't lose you. I love you too much, brother."

Aneko watched her father nuzzle into the shadow's fur, sighing contently. "I understand." he said. "Come. Let us all get some more sleep; though I don't' think you'll get much since you've been asleep for almost 3 days now."

"Yeah. Like that's what I want to do, Father." Aneko snorted in disgust. "I still don't trust her, no matter how 'Amaya' she is. She could turn her back against both of us at any moment while we're sleeping."

Within a second, a black crow face was in hers, his eyes bright red in pure anger.

"That is enough, Aneko!" Tadao hissed. "We're going to sleep, and that includes you too. No arguments. If you would like to, come and sleep near me." He looked at Amaya and nodded. "I bid you well dreams, Amaya. Welcome back to us. We've…well, _I've _missed you."

Amaya watched the two bird kin curl up above her on a large stone rock. Aneko gave her an angered look before turning her back on her. Amaya bit back a growl. _'Guess even best friends have the worst of fights sometimes.'_ She thought, curling up into a loose ball so she didn't injure her wounds anymore than what they were currently. A prickle of fear and uncertainty laid in her stomach.

_'Are we even considered friends, now that I'm…this? Surely the fake Amaya has done some kind of damage to people around.' _

Several hours of attempting to sleep held little success for Amaya. She was tired, but her fear of going back to sleep kept her awake and alert. A flicker of light came from outside. She looked to see a few fireflies had moved away from their little cluster around the large pond and had flown toward the cave. Lifting her head, she giggled when one orange firefly dropped onto her nose. It was so innocent, so delicate and funny.

_'Rin…Hayato.'_ Those two names came into her mind hard, causing her to wince. _'My son. My daughter. Please let them be safe. I cannot do anything for them right now. Oh Kami…I feel so useless.'_ The firefly flickered its illuminating rear brighter, as if trying to cheer her up.

She smiled sadly. "Thank you, little one. That's very kind of you." She whispered quietly to it. Abruptly, the firefly flew out towards the cavemouth, flickering its light brighter. Amaya gazed at it, understanding what it was trying to tell her. Looking back at Tadao and Aneko's sleeping forms on the stone edge, the shadow wolf folded back her ears sadly. _'Am I accepted anywhere now that I'm a monster? Even worse…would Sesshomaru even accept me for who I'm now?'_

* * *

**Short yes, so that's why I'm placing up two chapters today. That way no one will be too upset (I hope…). Now you guys know that "Amaya" really wasn't Amaya at all. But the bigger questions still lie ahead, like why the shadow wanted to be Amaya, and who the shadow truly is?**


	21. Discovering New Fears and Overcoming It

**I know someone will hunt me down if I don't place up another chapter to somewhat ease the tension of the story. l) **

**Hope ya'll like it.**

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Morning arrived another eight hours later, the sun penetrating through the thick forest treetops and into the ground, giving the grass and flowers their daily nutrients of sunlight. The light made it into the cave halfway, causing a very drowsy phoenix to awaken from her wonderful slumber.

Groaning, Aneko stumbled up onto her feet, shaking her head to alleviate the sleepiness from her mind. She stumbled too close to the stone's edge and fell over, luckily recovering enough to fly. The phoenix yawned, looking around for the other two creatures who had slept in the cave the previous night. She only found one, and that was her father sleeping up on the ridge still.

_'Hmm…where's that shadow?'_ she wondered, not sighting her anywhere. She kept back a growl. _'She probably went out and told her shadow friends about our location.'_

Despite everything she had said, the things she had accused the shadow wolf of being, Aneko felt a small sting of regret on all of it. Part of her really believed that the shadow was actually Amaya. But she couldn't start thinking of that right now, it was too painful.

Sighing, she flew out of the cave and resided next to the pond's cool watery edge. The grass tickled shyly under her feet, making her giggle. She loved and savored mornings like this. Dipping her head down, she took a few gulps of the water, cold jolting through her throat and body.

A loud splash echoed the air, causing her to snap her head up. Aneko watched Amaya pull a large fish out of the water on the other side of the pond, her head bobbing with the fish's harsh flailing. It was pretty funny to Aneko and she laughed when the shadow wolf threw the fish next to a cluster of other fish beside her and shook her head from growing dizzy. Then she looked up and noticed Aneko laughing at her.

Aneko stopped immediately and puffed up a little, giving her a death glare before turning her back on Amaya. Amaya's smile went away at this, upset at the grudge Aneko was still holding against her. _'Well…she'll be happy when I —'_ a rustle from the bushes cut off her thoughts, and her attention perked up. She noticed that the phoenix princess had heard it too.

Then it all happened so.

"NO!" She screamed, jumping across the pond to take the swift attack. Amaya screamed in pain, her shoulder wound opening back up with the shadow beast on top of her. Snarling, she thrashed away from Aneko, using her teeth to bite down on the shadows neck. It screeched in rage, pulling away from Amaya altogether.

"Run, Aneko! Get out of here!" Amaya ordered, facing the discombobulated creature.

"_Traitor!" _It hissed viciously, going for another pounce at Aneko. Amaya blocked it off again, only to slam her teeth into his neck, shaking him back and forth, ignoring his ear-piercing screeches. However, the shadow melted into a mist-like form and consumed Amaya's body. It was like thorns stabbing hotly through her skin.

"Get off!" She roared, shaking herself in attempt to get it out of her. The world seemed to slow down more and more with every shake she threw out. _'No…I won't…'_ Her vision started blur over, but she stood her ground. _'Get out of my mind and body!'_

A sudden hunger quickly took over her body, but she somehow managed to stay sane mentally. The shadow wolf couldn't do anything to control herself physically as her mouth opened wide and she inhaled slowly. The metallic taste of blood as well as the thickness of darkness and pain seemed to quench the lava hot feeling that had taken over her previous pain. _'Wha…What's going on? What's that noise?'_ She thought, picking up the muffled sound of what seemed like agony screams.

_**'That, my pest…is the sound of food and blissful deliverance of pain.' **_A raspy, twisted voice echoed in her mind. Amaya mentally opened her mind's eyes to be met with the red, insane eyes of another creature who looked almost exactly like her, only more out of control. _**'Can't you feel it? The pleasure-filling sound of another's pain? Oh, how this is what every shadow loves on a hunt'**_

_'NO! I'm nothing like you!'_ She snarled, baring her white teeth. '_That shadow before trapped me in this form! And let me guess, you're the inner demon of it.'_ It was more of a rhetorical question.

A shrilly laugh caused Amaya to fold her ears back. She gasped, but it seemed to get lodged in her throat as a slimy tentacle came around her and smoothed her fur; or at least tried to. _**'You can't hide it, Amaya…you've always enjoyed pain. Everyone does! Everyone is madness and everyone is prey! We shall all soon be consumed by darkness and the shadows will rise and take the throne that should've been given to our mate!'**_ The inner demon's voice went from happy and nuts, to venom-dripping hatred.

_'I won't let you control me! I'm not your slave!'_ Amaya howled in pain. _'No…No no no…NO! Get out of my mind!_' Her body shook as she felt her stomach become filled with the feeling of pain and death.

_**'Try as you might, pesky Amaya, you can't hide from it all~ You'll be swallowed up faster than you'll be able to control me~'**_ The demon sung in a happy tone again. _**'Come with me now and I'll show you the true meaning of a happy ending, Amaya…Come with me…Join me…Become one with me…'**_

"NO!" She screamed out loud, falling to her side, crying into the grass. "No… Oh God not again…"

"Ahh!" A squawk captured Amaya's attention. Looking up, she saw Aneko surrounded by four other shadows. She was cornered up against a tree, puffed up twice her size. One shadow pounced at Aneko but she decided to fight back. Jumping up, the phoenix attacked the shadow behind it and started ripping at its face with her sharp claws. Just as the shadow started recovering, Tadao's crow form launched at two.

The last shadow turned towards her and bared its teeth. Amaya snarled in challenge, bracing herself for what would come to her. It pounce, and she detected the mistakes of its movement. She jumped to the side swifter than the shadow. Before it could recovering, she bit down into its shoulder blade, twisting it sideways till she heard a loud snap. It screamed in pain, throwing her off, but she landed easily on her paws, glaring at the shadow as it fell down and thrashed on the ground. She could feel the hunger from before come up again.

'_No! You're_ not_ the ruler of me! _I_ am the ruler over you!'_ She snarled at the inner shadow demon. Hearing another scream, Amaya looked to see one shadow pinning Aneko down, its sightless eyes glowing darker.

"Leave her alone, you scum!" She yelled, sprinting over and ramming her full body weight down on its side. Another shadow toppled down on her, trying to pull her off.

The heat from her wounds was become unbearable, and Amaya knew that she needed to finish these shadows once and for all. Not letting loose of her prey, Amaya used her jaw and upper body muscles to throw the shadow backwards. It worked and all three of them fell, the shadow on her back pushed off while the front one was dead and vanished from her grasp. _'Two down, two to go.' _She thought proudly, turning to face the third shadow.

Within seconds, it was on her again, only this time sinking its deadly teeth into her leg. She threw it off and pounced onto its side and biting quickly into its neck, snapping it with a hard tug. Amaya threw it out of her way, watching as it dissipated before hitting the ground. _**'Very good, pest…surely you feel content to kill so powerfully. This is what you can do in this body…you're nothing in the other body.'**_

_'You're wrong, and will always be! You only accept power. You're just like my Father.'_ Amaya countered back sharply. _'You heard me before, so don't try to take me over. If so, face consequences later on.'_

"FATHER!"

Aneko's scream brought Amaya back into reality. She looked and her heart descended to the depths of the earth.

"TADAO!" She yowled out pitifully. The crow demon was severely injured, lying on his side just as his victim evaporated into the air to its death. And he wasn't moving at all. Both wolf and phoenix ran over to his side, begging him to wake up. "Tadao…not you too…please…get up…" Amaya whispered, leaning down and nudging him with her head.

"Don't touch him you monster!" Aneko screeched harshly, slashing at Amaya and inflicting a deep wound on her nose. "Your kind harmed Father! Stay away!"

Amaya finally had enough. "Grow up, Aneko!" She barked back. "I'm always going to be the same Amaya, no matter what you think otherwise. Stop it right now of this nonsense. I'm tired already of your complaining. Tadao is injured and the least you can do is let me somehow to heal him!"

"And how do I know you won't hurt him?! Everyone nowadays is so distrustful I don't know whom to trust anymore!" Aneko argued, tears of anger in her eyes. Amaya growled.

"So what? You don't trust my brother, Haruko? You don't trust your father, your mother? How about the people whom you protect with your life everyday? Do you not trust them?"

Aneko opened her beak, but nothing came out. She tried again, but nothing the second time. Amaya got closer to Tadao, her hunger becoming so strong, she could've sworn she tasted it now. Pushing the urge back slightly, Amaya looked at Aneko and said, "If I go too far, kill me."

The black phoenix looked dumbfounded before Amaya turned around. She leaned her head back down, opened her jaws and took in a slow gulp of what looked like air.

She could feel the pain, the blood and death that loomed over Tadao's form slowly go down her throat like invisible liquid. The more she sucked in, the harder it became to control her sudden desire to kill the crow once and for all.

_**'Take him! Make him our meal, pest! You can't hide it! Feast more! Kill more!'**_The shadow demon inside of her roared.

Mentally, Amaya snapped her eyes open and snarled. _'I will have none of that! Perish, demon!' _She yelled, jumping at a demonic wolf almost identical to her. Upon her impact, her whole body seemed to become swallowed in tar, her movements growing unexpectedly slow.

_**'You can't harm me! I'm part of you now, pest! Nothing shall stop me from containing my real master's meal! Not even you, a weak barrier to us!'**_

_'I'm not weak!' _She yelped loudly, mentally slashing at the tar. That seemed to be the shadows weakness at that moment, causing it to pull away. Her wounds burned, her shoulders growing tired, her breathing labored and shallow. _'I'm not weak…I'll never be! I'm stronger than you all!' _

_**'Well let's see about that.' **_It purred, its back turning into sharp tentacles. They lashed out at Amaya. She managed to dodge a few, but when one got her in the foreleg, she faltered. Then the rest impaled through her body. Amaya choked on her blood, gagging as it stuck in her windpipe and esophagus. One tentacle coiled tightly around her neck, making breathing even harder.

_'__**You see? You were born weak. You were raised weak. You are weak! And you can't change what is in your runt life.' **_The inner demon hissed.

'_YES I CAN!'_ Amaya screamed. Her shoulders started glowing brightly, blinding the inner demon. It screeched, pulling away from Amaya, the tentacles steaming and even burning away. Amaya coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood before looking weakly at her shoulders. She gasped at the sight of her glowing body and the steaming monster. Shakily, the shadow wolf got up as her eyes started shining too.

'_I'm not weak…I'm going to prove myself to you. __**Submit!**_**'** With a hard grunt, Amaya shot a purified blast from her mouth. It exploded on contact of the shadow demon, its body shriveling up into nothing as it screamed in agony.

Standing up straighter, Amaya growled out, _'I am not a part of you, nor are you of me. You're the one who's weak and will not take me down ever again. I control you and you don't to me. Understand?' _Though nothing was around her, a pained whimper filled the air. She nodded proudly. _'Good. Now that Tadao's pain removing is complete, I'm leaving. And don't try anything stupid again.' _

Opening her phsyical eyes, Amaya realized that she was panting heavily. She looked down and gasped in relief; Tadao was starting to move again. His wounds had disappeared magically, and he was breathing normally now. "Tadao…" She breathed, nuzzling his face with her nose. "You're alive." A single tear dropped from her cheek and onto him.

"F-Father!" Aneko chirped, flapping over to his other side, hugging him with her wings. "Oh Father…you came back." She sobbed into his feathers.

Tadao seemed a little confused at first with both demonesses surrounding him, but he just let them comfort him from his death sleep. "Ladies, are you both okay?"

"I'm fine, Father. And I think Amaya is—" Aneko turned to face the shadow wolf, and suddenly squawked in surprise. "What the hell?! Y-Your body!"

Confused, Tadao looked and he, too, cawed in disbelief. "Amaya, darling! You're back. It's…It's glowing!"

Completely baffled by their reactions, Amaya ran over to the pond surface and looked down. Tadao's words couldn't have been any truer. Amaya's backside glowed in the flowing directions markings under her pelt that now showed. They were the same markings from her cougar form. She also noticed that her wounds were gone, just like Tadao's.

"Amaya?" The shadow wolf turned to see Aneko shuffling shyly next to Tadao. "I'm…I'm sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have been so rude before. Can you forgive me?"

Amaya smiled. "Of course. We're friends remember. Besides, I don't hold small things like that forever." She said. Looking around, the shadow saw blood pools where the enemies had been killed stained the grass scenery. "We need to leave. I doubt we'll be alone for a long time if we stay here."

"Agree." Tadao grunted. "We need to prove that you're really…you, Amaya. But how can we do that?"

Tadao was proving a wise point, as always. No one has trusted a shadow creature for many centuries, probably when Emperor Isao was first crowned. Sure as hell they wouldn't trust her now that many shadow invasions were occurring more frequently. Amaya's face furrowed in deep thought, and then cleared up just as quickly. "Is Azumi back at the palace?" She asked.

Aneko swiftly took note of the curiosity in Amaya's voice. "We are so not going to my mother right now!" She hissed. "She's probably meeting up with Koga at this point. We've been gone for three days and I wouldn't even consider going back just yet."

"Aneko, you know just as well as I do that we need at least _one_ ruler to believe I'm me." Amaya said back. "If I don't try somehow, then we won't get a start of some sort."

"But—" The black phoenix stopped speaking and sighed in defeat. "Oh, alright, I guess so. But how will we get into the palace anyway? The guards are stricter than marble castles and would kill you on sight entering the palace grounds."

"Then we'll sneak in." Tadao spoke up. Both girls looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "I know the Eastern Palace inside and out since I was a little fledgling. We go in by some hidden doors. Fair enough?"

"Of course. That way we won't have to hurt anyone getting in." Amaya said enthusiastically. Looking up at the morning sky, she said, "If I run and walk fast enough, we can get there within two days."

"That's sort of slow, but I can deal with it." Aneko shrugged.

"Then it's settled. Come along, ladies. We don't have much time left. I fear something will happen that is much, much worse than now." Tadao said gravely. He spread his wings and took flight with Aneko, bursting through the treetops. Amaya walked out the same way she remembered coming in with Sesshomaru. The thought of him made her heart skip painfully.

_'Is he doing alright? Surely he must know that that monster isn't me…right?'_

o / o / o / o

"Sesshomaru! Come and play with us, please!"

The daiyokai looked up from his scrolls to see Rin blinking innocently at him, trying to look cuter than usual. Hayato was leaning against the door casually. He raised an eyebrow. "Why isn't Amaya supervising you two?" He asked coldly.

Hayato shook his head. "She's rather moody still, Father. Ma doesn't want anyone around her. Guess it's one of those things a female must go through during conceiving." Sesshomaru heard the disappointment in his adopted son's voice, and it subconsciously upsets him. Hayato never liked being rejected from his adopted mother's side, even during her pregnancy.

Sighing, the daiyokai placed the scroll down and got up. "Rin, Hayato, go and play with Jaken. I will discuss this with Amaya in the meantime. Be sure to come in by dinnertime"

Hayato flinched as if he had been slapped, but his face held no indication of hurt. Instead, the albino cheetah hanyou bowed and guided Rin out with him. Once the children were gone, Sesshomaru walked out as well, but went in the opposite direction to his room.

Upon reaching the door, Sesshomaru opened it to see his loving mate leaning up against the wall, her eyes closed blissfully. He smiled, closing the door behind him and was next to her side within a second. "Mate." he husked in her ear.

Groaning, Amaya opened her eyes, looking at him lovingly. "Yes, dear?" She purred, licking his neck affectionately.

With all his mental strength, Sesshomaru pulled back. "Why didn't you supervise the children? You always do that."

"I understand that, Sesshomaru. But I don't want to push myself or accidentally harm the children with my "swings". Plus, I was just not in the mood." Amaya said with a sigh, leaning more into his body. Suddenly, she gasped. Quickly, she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "I felt it! It moved, love!" She breathed.

Sesshomaru smile got wider when he felt a soft kick against her skin. "Our pup will be strong. I'm positive about it." He said, kissing her longingly. He knew she, at about almost two months, had only a few more days before she would pup their child. They were ready for it and would take care of it with the love it needs.

"I love you, Sesshomaru." Amaya said, pulling back and looking at him with those deep mahogany eyes.

"And I you, Amaya. Rest now." He said, getting up. Peering at her one last time, he shut the door and walked away from their room.

Too bad he hadn't seen the proud, mischievous grin on her face.

* * *

**I'm stopping it there for now –grabs the gun for protection- R&R until the next chapter is up! Yes that means ya'll have to wait a day and a half for the next one~ l)**


	22. A Need to Warn Love Ones

"Amaya? Amaya, wake up, love…" Tadao's voice groggily got through her clouded mind, waking her up slowly.

"I'm up! I'm up." She gasped, her head bolting upright, though her eyes clearly showed how tired the shadow wolf really was at the moment. Wiping a paw over her nose, Amaya shook her head, attempting futilely to wake herself up faster. "How long was I out, Tada?" She yawned.

"Only a few hours, dear. Aneko just woke up a few minutes ago. We're ready to keep going. Are you sure you don't want to hang back for a little while?" Tadao asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Tadao. Just because I've only caught a few hours of sleep doesn't mean I can go on just that. We got ahead faster than expected last night, but we still need to hurry. Your mate is in danger." Amaya said, stretching her still tired muscles. She sniffed the air quickly. "Did you or Aneko grab something to eat?"

"I did. Fish and mice for breakfast. Come and eat before it gets cold." Tadao said, flying over to the ember fire pit with several mice and fish gathered onto a few sticks in order to cook over the embers of their fire pit. "Here." He pulled a stick out of the ground with one foot and gave it to her. "Eat up. We've got a little more ways to go."

The trio ate in silence, only the noise of scales and flesh being pulled apart and the swallowing of it going down their throats echoed in the air. Amaya looked over to Aneko and saw that she was much more energetic than her. She smiled, thinking back just several hours prior when she had been running as fast as her stiff would allow at the time. Tadao screamed from up above her, making her look up only to see Aneko had fallen out of the sky and was coming down faster than normal. When Amaya safely caught her, she noticed the black phoenix was sound asleep. She told Tadao that she would carry the princess for as long as she could stay up. She had carried Aneko through the afternoon, evening, and late into the night, before she, too, collapsed in exhaustion. Thankfully, she had fallen asleep in a forest.

"Amaya? You alright?" Aneko spoke up. Confused, Amaya looked at her, tilting her head to the side. "I mean, you've got a strict face on. Everything okay?"

"Just thinking, Aneko. Nothing wrong with that." Amaya said, flinching at the snippy tone she was giving off. "Sorry. I'm tired, that's all. But that's no major problem right now. Let's get going soon." She said, finishing off her mouse with a gulp.

As she waited, Amaya groomed herself. That was one thing she immediately picked back up on. Whenever they stopped for rest, she would groom down her ragged fur till it was silky smooth against her flank. However, it would always bounce back up a little after she ran for a long time. But, no matter the consequence, Amaya acted as much of her normal self as she could stand for the time being.

She stopped mid-lick, looking up at Tadao. "Is something the matter, Tada?" She asked.

That seemed to snap him out of his staring. "Oh, nothing, dear. Sorry. I was thinking too. Sorry." He quickly bowed his head to finished up his trout.

"Okay…" Amaya drawled, shrugging her shoulders before going back to grooming.

After a little longer, they were ready to continue their travelling. Aneko flew a few hundred feet above Tadao, who cruised along at a steady thousand feet. Amaya galloped below them, swiftly passing through the growing tall prairie grass like the shadow she was currently. Amaya kept noticing after a while how relaxed she felt just running. It was almost that of when she was a cougar, but she knew that it was because of something else.

_'Do you have anything to do with this?'_ She mentally said bluntly.

_**'No, pest. You are releasing the desire to kill and replenish by pain and torture. We shadows crave it; well…most of us.'**_ The inner demon hissed.

_'What's that mean? I'm actually a good shadow?'_

_**'You've forced this body of my real master currently to be something that you once were.'**_

_'Once? You mean I can't ever go back into my old body?!__**' **_Amaya mentally snarled.

_**'I never said that, pest! Of course a prey like you can retain your former body. But that usually ends in death.'**_ There was a pause that Amaya allowed, causing the inner shadow demon to continue. _**'Even if the prey wanted to accomplish in getting their former self back, many prey—almost all from what other shadows and friends have told—die upon the few days of being as a shadow. Madness kills them or makes them one of us forever.'**_

_'But it's you inner demons who cause this. Not them, right?'_

_**'Fool! It is my real master's fault! It is the original hosts' cause of their lust.'**_ shadow roared, making Amaya's ears ring unexpectedly.

_'Y-You mean…?'_

_**'Aye, pest. The shadow who now takes your place fell into madness herself. But she has been mad ever since birth. She forced me, ME! Her own mind and inner demon to fall as well. "**_**So much potential, so much glory" **_**she kept saying to herself. That is why so many preys die so easily; their body savors, urges them for pain and death as food. Then it's the us inner demons that shout, cry out for their innocence of selflessness to be drowned in madness. They die from starvation of pain, because they fought back or simply killed themselves before they went nuts. Even children were killed upon our clutches…' **_

Amaya didn't know what to think. Here was the same inner shadow that had almost succeeded in driving her to kill Tadao for the desire of tasting pain and death, now sounding annoyed over—she assumed—many centuries of torture and forced eating of the innocent.

_'I'm…I'm so sorry, shadow. I…I didn't know.'_

_**'Save your breath, pest. There's nothing you can do for this one. She was lost forever in the thick curtain of death and insanity.**_' It countered back harshly.

"Hey Amaya! We're almost there!" Aneko called out. "I see the palace from here. Let's take a break for now and we'll continue in an hour, okay?"

"Okay!" She shouted back up. Amaya forced herself to slow down to a fast trot, then to a walk. Then she realized that she was breathing a little harder than from before. Amaya peered up at the lightly clouded blue sky, watching as Aneko and Tadao flew in circles downwards. The two bird demons landed a few yards away, Aneko noticeably breathing more than Tadao. Amaya chuckled.

_'She may be fast and strong, but she's no match to my dear friend when it comes to stamina. But it's something that will come to her naturally in a few years.'_

The trio rested in the dry grass, regaining much relax time. Amaya sighed as she slid onto her right side and stretching out, feeling her muscles pop and bones crack from all the stiffness.

"Amaya?" Tadao suddenly spoke up.

"Yes?"

"May I see your stomach please?"

_'That's new.'_ Amaya thought. "Uh…sure…I guess." Obediently, Amaya rolled more onto her side, revealing more of her stomach to Tadao. Even under normal circumstances, she would've thought this is very unusually for Tadao. She watched the crow look thoroughly at her stomach, as if he was observing a new specimen that stepped foot into the Feudal Lands.

After just a few minutes of his intense staring, Amaya saw him pull away, his eyes nor face showing any kind of emotion. He turned his back on her. "We…we should be going now." Even his voice seemed to hold a tiny bit of strain.

Aneko looked up, chirping in surprise. "Already?" She asked. "Can't we have just a few more minutes, Father? It's so nice here…"

"We need to leave now, my darling. Amaya." Tadao said with a quick nod before taking flight.

_'Something is up with him. Why did he want to look at my stomach?' Amaya wondered, looking down at her lighter toned belly. A quick gaze gave her no results. 'Am I getting an infection that he can only see? But even then he would tell me and then go looking for some herbs. Do I smell odd? No…he'd say something then too. God, what's up with him? Maybe he's just—'_

"Amaya! Are you coming or what?" Aneko squawked loudly, making her jump slightly.

"O-Oh! Coming!" She replied. The shadow wolf shook off the grass hanging on her pelt before running up to catch the two demons above her in the sky. However, as they continued their run, Tadao and Aneko kept themselves lower to the ground, just so that they were at least a few yards above Amaya's head. "So what should we do when we get there?" She asked.

"We'll have to enter the forest area about a mile or two behind the Eastern Palace grounds." Tadao explained overhead. "There's a hidden tunnel that will take us—literally—underneath the entire ruckus of guards and into the cellars of the palace."

"Ew! That's not going to be a pretty sight." Aneko groaned. Amaya and Tadao chuckled together. Though Aneko was close to Amaya's age, the shadow wolf had seen and experienced more gore than she wished to speak to anyone at anytime. And Tadao knew this through the centuries of gossip and rumors.

"Anyways, then there's another hidden spot. In the cellars, I recall discovering a secret spiral stair set that goes up. I took it and it led me to one of many hidden doors of the castles. One of them being your mother's office and room, Aneko. Sadly, it's the only way I've taken so far."

"Then we'll take that route for now. But…answer this for me Tadao; how will _I _be able to get Azumi to realize I'm me. I can't just jump out and say 'hey Azu! It's me Amaya, and I'm a shadow wolf now!' "

Aneko giggled at the humorless statement. "Don't worry, Amaya, we'll get you accepted in no time."

"Easy for you to say." The shadow wolf mumbled under her breath.

"I heard that!"

o / o / o / o

The sun was at its highest peak for the afternoon just as Aneko, Tadao, and Amaya reached the Eastern Forest. True to Tadao's words, the forest was a mile or two away from the Eastern Palace. Just from that distance, Amaya was awed by how big castle seemed to be, and wondered how big it truly was up close. Was it bigger than the Western Palace or even the Southern Palace? Surely not.

Amaya remembered Tadao, when she was younger and he was her personal servant—along with his brother, who was her personal guard sometimes—speaking about how wondrous the Eastern Palace was when he was a fledgling and later on as a young servant. Many a time did he walk around the grounds, curious about where else there were there adventures. That was all before he was shipped over to the Southern Lands and became the head servant of Hotashi and Amaya's mother, Natsumi.

"Follow me girls." Tadao whispered up from his perch on a branch. Though he didn't turn to face them, the crow demon was looking ahead with skeptical eyes. His deep red eyes could pierce through anything, making most servants—and even some higher ranked demons—shiver in fear. To her, he fascinated her beyond simply deadly eyes. Tadao was a man of his words and hardly, if ever, breaks a promise or order.

He fell off, springing into the air as guided the girls through the dense trees, weaving in and out of their branches like yarn. Aneko did the same, though she had a harder time circling around the sharp branches, occasionally flying up higher to avoid them completely. Amaya hung back, taking her time, however, kept her trot going nonetheless. In her cougar form, she could've been caught up with Tadao by now with ease. But, in her shadow wolf form, she wasn't as graceful.

When Amaya and Aneko finally caught up to Tadao, they watched him transform into his humanoid form. He placed a finger up against his lips, indication to stay quiet. "Wait here." He said and was gone a second later.

Aneko landed on Amaya's head, letting out a relieved sigh. "I can't wait to see Mother. Though I think I'll be met with something totally opposite."

"You ran away?" Amaya hit the target.

"Yeah, I did. But I was going to head back as soon as possible. I just didn't know that…well you know…"

"I understand. But do you regret it at all?" Amaya asked softly.

"No I don't. It actually feels…exciting to have you coming along with us, Amaya. You sure know how to talk up a good adventure when needed that's for a fact."

Amaya laughed. "Do I now? Well, I think it's wonderful to be journeying with you and Tadao. I've always wanted to go on another adventure with him. Haven't done so since I was a cub."

"Just like the good times sort of?" Aneko asked, poking her head into Amaya's view.

"You could say that."

Suddenly, there was a very low rumble, so low that both of them almost didn't hear nor feel it. However, as soon as they detected it, the noise disappeared. Tadao came back, a proud smile on his handsome face. "Let's go girls. I'll lead now."

"Yeah, Father, we know; considering you've been leading for the past 29 hours." Aneko scoffed teasingly, getting off of Amaya's head.

He guided them down into the dimly lit tunnel below the ground. When Amaya stood next to him, she felt the ground shake, this time much bigger and louder. She whirled around to see that a huge boulder now blocked their only way back, shut. Tadao patted her on the head for comfort. "We can go back, but for now we're heading forward. Come on."

Reluctantly, the shadow wolf turned and started running alongside Tadao and Aneko's flying form. A lump of nervousness seemed to lodge itself in her throat. She was scared, but confident at the same time about seeing Azumi. And she needed to get the warning out to a Lady like her too.

The tunnel was damp, she could smell it, but the fire torches about 20 yards part from one another flickered with life. She wondered how long it had been since anyone being down there to even light them up for years to come.

"Pretty neat, huh Amaya?" Tadao said.

"Yeah it is. Too bad the Southern ones aren't as…mysterious." Amaya smirked.

They ran faster and quickly reached a big metal door that appeared much denser than Amaya would like to think. However, Tadao just pushed on it with just his hand and it rolled inward like it was nothing. A gust of stale stench slapped Amaya in the nose, making her sneeze accidently.

"Delicious." She grumbled dryly.

"That is the least of our worries. Look." He nodded his head over to the three guards on the right and up above them on the first floor door. Despite their backs being towards the trio, all three knew that if any sudden movement or smells grab their attention, the guards will be on them faster than they can escape. "I'll go first. Wait for my mark." Tadao instructed quietly. The demonesses wished him luck and watched him change into his crow form again. He flew so silently in the dim cellar, that both Amaya and Aneko lost hearing of him for several seconds after he flew around the corner. Luckily, his deep red eyes popped back around and nodded for them that it was safe.

Aneko nuzzled Amaya's neck for luck before flying across the cellars to her father. Like Tadao, the black phoenix was quiet for a bird of prey, thanks to amazing genes and natural ability to turn invisible too. It didn't take long for Aneko to get over;

Except the fact that her claws accidently scraped a little too loud on the stone ground.

Tadao pulled Aneko close as the guards started walking down the stairs. Two bull demons; bad opponent to go up against. _'Damn. How will Amaya get over here?'_ The crow demon looked over at Amaya and saw that her moon white eyes were now shrouded in a deep mist. Before the guards had the chance to discover her hiding, she vanished from all sights. For a split second, Tadao thought she was captured.

"What are you guys waiting for?!" Amaya's hiss nearly blew their cover as Tadao almost screamed in surprise. Aneko and Tadao turned around to see the mystified wolf form, its white eyes shadowed over. "Well?"

Tadao didn't say anything, but he turned around and placed his hand on the stone wall. His red eyes turned brighter slightly and he walked through the stone wall. Not wanting to be left behind, despite being shocked, Amaya and Aneko jumped through the wall just as easily, ending up on the other side. Apparently, the secret passageway led upwards to stairs. Amaya touched the wall and was met with solid stone.

"It only works when one touches their inner power and brings it out. I'll teach you it someday, Aneko, but for now we need to keep moving. Guards are all over the palace far worse than I had anticipated." Tadao indicated.

"That's because of the invasions. I can sense the whole palace is stiff with tensions so high now." Aneko said as they went up the stairs. "I'm almost positive that another one will be spoken of. Only this time, it might be here."

"That's crazy!" Amaya barked. "Shadows don't just jump out, especially during the middle of the daytime."

"Which is another reason why we're here, girls. To protect and warn Azumi of a possible invasion." Tadao said.

They walked up to see a hallway with multiple stone doors sunken inwards on the right. Tadao stopped in front of one, but Amaya could easily tell that it was much older than the other ancient-looking doors. The stone had many cracks in it, both big and small, probably from how aged up it is. He inhaled deeply and placed his hand on it again. They now stood in Azumi's office. No one was in the room, so their hard breathing was the only thing heard.

Suddenly, the main door opened up, and a very worn out Azumi came in. Quickly, Amaya vanished from sight and hid behind one of Azumi's many bookshelves. She peered out from it and watched Azumi bring her head up and look at Tadao and Aneko. Her expression went from startled and scared, confusion and dumbfounded, to relief, motherly love, and care.

"My love!" She gasped, embracing him in a tight and blessing hug. Amaya smiled, understanding how that once felt to her; with her former mate and the man she felt for currently. Azumi pulled back and kissing him lovingly on the lips. "Oh, how I've missed you so much!" She said, her head fitting snugly on his neck.

"And I you, my eternal night flower." Tadao sighed on her hair. "I'm so sorry we have to be separated for so long. I've always wanted to be with you and our daughter."

Azumi perked up at that and looked over at her daughter, who transformed into her humanoid form. "Hello, Mother—"

She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence when she was brought into a sobbing hug. Azumi held her closer than that of Tadao, crying in motherly relief. Aneko just stood there, stunned by her mother's unusual behavior. "An-Aneko! You're okay, t-thank Kami!" The Lady of the East whimpered happily. She pulled away unexpectedly, an annoyed glint in her eye. "Don't you ever scare me like that ever again, young lady! Do you understand?"

Amaya held back an amused chuckle when Aneko blushed lightly. "I'm-I'm sorry, Mother. But I'm here and I am well."

"I understand. For a second, I thought…I thought…" Azumi pulled away, her face now showing horror. "Oh dear…"

"Mother! What's wrong?! Are you alright?" Aneko grabbed her mother's shoulders, trying to give the woman comfort.

"I'm fine now, but…our alliance is more than likely destroyed, dear." Azumi said, sagging down on her chair and ran a hand through her hair.

"Wha…what do you mean, love?" Tadao asked, his eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"I was almost to the Northern Kingdoms when I received the message that you had disappeared and that no one had seen her here nor at that Southern Palace. They then reported that Tadao was gone too. I knew I couldn't stop and go back home, so I went to the meeting and demanded Kouga to tell me where you two were. He told me he had other business to do but he did feel sorry about your guys' disappearance. I didn't know what got into me, but I threatened Lord Kouga of our alliances. The shadows are making us all going crazy." Azumi said, a few tears falling down her face.

"Mother…" Aneko breathed, confused at her mother's actions. She looked over to see Amaya twitching, showing that she wanted to come out. "Um…Mother…there's something we need to tell you. It's an emergency."

"Indeed it is." Tadao agreed with her. Azumi looked at them curiously, wondering what they were going to say.

"Well…we've come to the strong conclusion that the Amaya at the Western Palace isn't Amaya at all. It's an illusion, or more specifically a shadow that has taken her place."

Azumi looked somewhat shock for a few seconds. "But…how? Sesshomaru's been with her all this time. How can that—"

"It's simple."

Everyone turned to see Amaya walk out from the back of the bookshelf. Her voice held no hesitation, no fear, only mature confidence and knowledge. "That monster took my form, my life, my love, and my family. Now I reside as what that shadow used to be, in this form. Azumi, the Amaya you see as the soon-to-be Lady of the West isn't who she really is. She…is me."

The phoenix queen had the look of disbelief, but Amaya could see that she was fighting realization of who the shadow wolf was. Sighing in growing frustration, Amaya glared at her accusingly. "Do I have to give everything about myself to you guys. Pull your head out and think, Azu! It's me Amaya!" She snarled.

That seemed to lock things into place inside Azumi's head. She gasped. "Amaya…it really is you!" She cried, kneeling down and opening her arms out. Amaya didn't hesitate in falling into her hug. "Thank Kami that you're safe too."

"Thank you, but we don't have much time at all, Azumi." Amaya said, pulling away. She turned serious. "We believe that you are in severe danger, Azu. With all the invasions I've been hearing about, we think the shadows will come and invade this palace. I needed to gain your trust so that you could believe me."

"I understand, sweetheart." Azumi smiled. "Tell me everything and what needs to happen. I'll risk my life protecting my palace and my lands."

_'Let's hope it doesn't come to that point.'_ Amaya thought gravely. She quickly explained to Aneko what was going on and the idea to keep herself hidden from the shadows. It was a half-planned out idea, but they wished for the best that it would work.

A knock on the door broke their quiet conversation. Azumi walked over, opened it for a few seconds before shutting it and turning around. In her hands lied a scroll; with a black ribbon keeping it tied together. Amaya felt her breath catch. _'Oh no…something bad…has happened.'_ she thought.

Tadao, Aneko, and Amaya watched as the phoenix demoness pull the ribbon away and unwrap the scroll. Her eyes scanned the letter slowly, widening with every paragraph she finished. By the time she had finished forcing herself to read the scroll, tears were on the verge of falling from her beautiful green eyes. "Oh…no…how…they were…" She stammered.

Aneko grabbed her mother's hand. "What's wrong, Mother? Tell us, please. We should know too." She urged, rubbing her other hand on top of her mother's for seeking comfort. Azumi looked up at Tadao, who walked over and nodded to her to do so.

With a heavy gulp, Azumi inhaled and began reading what the scroll said…

**AND CUT! Now I need to quickly find my two guns for extra protection l) Just kidding! I'm placing up the next one so that we won't have any victims, yet…**


	23. Mommy Deadliest Come to Me

_**Previous: **_

_Tadao, Aneko, and Amaya watched as the phoenix demoness pull the ribbon away and unwrap the scroll. Her eyes scanned the letter slowly, widening with every paragraph she finished. By the time she had finished forcing herself to read the scroll, tears were on the verge of falling from her beautiful green eyes. "Oh…no…how…they were…" She stammered._

_ Aneko grabbed her mother's hand. "What's wrong, Mother? Tell us, please. We should know too." She urged, rubbing her other hand on top of her mother's for seeking comfort. Azumi looked up at Tadao, who walked over and nodded to her to do so._

_ With a heavy gulp, Azumi inhaled and began reading what the scroll said__…_

'_To Our Dearest Lady of the East,_

_ The inevitable has come to the most unexpected place. Such rejoice was to become to the Western Lands and the throne itself! Everyone was excited, awed, and grateful for what we were given as a gift for a soon-to-be Lady. As all the Lands surely know by now, Lady Amaya, was with child of our loyal and proud Lord Sesshomaru. A new heir is of two powerfully mixed bloodlines would take the throne! We want to say that we are acceptance to your regards and we thank you all._

_ Yesterday afternoon, Lady Amaya's water broke and she started conceiving her child into labor. She had her contractions for over the night for around eight hours until she started giving birth. We are happy to congratulate that the Western Lands had twin heirs, both little boys. They are so adorable and worth for the throne! The oldest had handsome silver cropped hair with flicks of strands colored in rich brown. A mix between his parents for sure. The youngest had all Lady Amaya's hair, long, beautiful caramel brown that is surely to turn into a rich brown later in his years. Both sons were exceptional for Lady Amaya, Lord Sesshomaru, and for us servants too._

_ However, High Servant Chie, who was helping Lady Amaya give birth, quickly realized something about the twins. She discovered that only a few minutes into their new life here in the Western Lands, they had left; they were not breathing and were growing blue with death. The new sons of the throne were gone, just only four minutes into life. _

_ It is least to say, sadly, that Lady Amaya demanded us to bring them back. But we told her that it was too late; they were gone. She collapsed into a horrible breakdown, just as bad as what she had been through with Hayato; maybe worse. She was angry more than mourning, angry that all her hard work to bring the children into her life was wasted and they were gone forever. Sesshomaru, who kept his stock face on all the time, held her close, knowing that it was something that they had to endure together. Chie later on told me that she could hear Sesshomaru's roars in the forest. He was in so much mourning than Amaya, and we wanted to help, but we do not know how._

_ So, in conclusive, this letter was to be sent to you, Lady Azumi, as well as to be sent to the other Lords, specifically Prince Haruko and Lord Kouga. The twins will be buried tonight, but it would pain the Lord and Lady too much, so they will not be attending. The younglings, Prince Hayato and Princess Rin, are coping with the lost of their young brothers better than their adopted parents, but it still has left deep wounds in our souls that will be harder than one may think to recover from. _

_From the Western Servant,_

_Yoshi'_

Amaya felt broken, torn and empty together. Sesshomaru had not only gone back to the Western Palace with that monster, but he had went to the distance of mating her and conceiving the shadow with the children that should've been hers. But, another part of her was mourning in horrible pain for the lost of any child, especially heirs to Sesshomaru. Bowing her head, she sobbed quietly with unshed tears, not caring that the others saw her.

But even they were crying. Aneko had fallen to the ground, her face in her hands as she cried. Tadao bowed his head and choked on his sobs. Azumi had allowed herself to fall into Tadao's arms and cry into his chest in mourn. They all were very, very distraught, probably more distraught and pained than Prince Haruko and Lord Kouga together.

After several long minutes of mourning, Amaya couldn't stop herself from asking, "Did…Did they give the children names?"

Azumi wiped away the tears and looked over the scroll another time, but shook her head once she was done. "No. It just gives us their description. She probably didn't want to pain giving her…dead pups names."

"How dare she!" Amaya suddenly snarled, her pelt bristling furiously. "Any and every mother should give their children names, regardless if they die from natural causes or sickness. It symbolizes how much they loved their children! I named my sons Ryo and Keiji because I _loved _them. This monster does not love, she only tortures to get what she wants. She'll use her anger in not producing live shadow heirs on us and everyone else. I can tell this is a trap; yes, I feel sympathetic towards everyone at the Western Palace for the loss, but this is serious. She probably thinks that you would've been too busy either mourning for the loss, or with meeting thining alliances with the other Lords!"

"Though it may sound crazy, it could be very true, my love." Tadao said. "The shadows will come during the night, so I highly recommend a few guards be at the door."

"Very well, love." Azumi wiped away her tears from her eyes. Then her face posture turned grave and serious. "Let's get ready."

o / o / o / o

As night started growing more and more apparent, Amaya was told to rest herself up by both Azumi and Tadao. Aneko was given the same orders. From what they were saying to the girls, they wanted them to rest up because if the Eastern Palace fell, they would need to be running and flying as fast as they were born to in order to warn the other Lords, particularly Lord Sesshomaru. They would need to sail across the many miles of lands within just an hour at top. Tonight, everyone would be pushing the limit to protect everything they loved.

Amaya opened her eyes as she woke up. She felt Aneko, who was sleeping against her side, shift for a better position. Leaning down, her nose touched lightly against the black phoenix's side, moving her in closer as Amaya's tail wrapped tighter, more secure, around Aneko.

_'Those children… oh Kami, how awful it is to lose them. They should've stayed alive. I could've been their mother; I want to protect and love.'_

**'Fool, you give up too easily. And here I thought you were braver than this.' **The shadow demon inside of Amaya scoffed. **'You can save them still.'**

This immediately grabbed the shadow wolf's attention. Mentally, she tackled the demon. _'Tell me! Please, tell me!' _She gasped.

**'Control yourself, pest.'** the demon snarled, pushing Amaya off. **'I cannot tell it to you yet, for you would race out of here and to the Western Lands before stepping up and guarding the Lady of the East.'**

Amaya went to argue, but she shut her mouth, knowing that the shadow, for once, was right. She needed to focus protecting the living at the moment.

**'However,'** The inner shadow continued. **'I can tell you this; she is coming. I can sense her.'**

_'How's that possible?'_

**'Currently, you sense only auras. That will not work on shadows, because our auras are tainted so badly that no creature can sense us unless they have years and years of expierence on us. We shadows can sense each other, whether it may be from the inner demon or the real demon itself.'**

_'Oh, well…can you lend it to me? I want to protect everyone with my life. And I think you want to do something for a change as well…' _Amaya said.

The shadow demon was quiet for a very long time, but eventually a tentacle from the dark demon came out and touched Amaya in the forehead. Power swam through Amaya's veins, causing her to gasp. 'Close off any other thoughts and think only of my master; her name is…Leiko.'

'Leiko.' She thought. It was a name that shrouded deep within her mind, one that she knew but couldn't quite place yet. When she opened her eyes, she could sense the presence.

So dark, evil, dripping with insanity and power. It was close; so close as if she was in the palace…

"Azumi!" She screamed, not caring that she woke up Aneko so abruptly. Amaya ran out of the bedroom that she and Aneko were to sleep in, and heard a blood-curling scream echo the halls. It was quickly followed by many shadows ambushing them.

_'A silent attack!'_

Before she could move another step, two large shadows collided with her in the side. Snarling, she went straight into battle mode, kicking both shadows off and jumping back on her feet.

They went to pounce her, but a clear and swift cut rang the air. Amaya smirked when Aneko, with her powerful and sharp talons, ripped the back part of one shadow and broke its neck with a loud 'crack!'. Amaya slammed the second shadow, who was too stunned to see her. Learning from the previous shadow fight, Amaya pushed away again and spat out a dark mist ball, which exploded on contact. The shadow was sent flying back, impaling the wall hard. Aneko flew in and slashed at its throat in the front. Amaya believed that shadows couldn't bleed, but she forgot; they were as alive as she and Aneko were. The sight of darkened blood made her insides churn as it trailed in large rushes down the shadows' throats and wounds. With a heavy exhale, both disappeared from sight and now resided in hell.

Many servants and soldiers were being attacked all at once by the mass income of shadows. Females screamed as they were inflicted by severe wounds. Amaya and Aneko raced over into the insanity and tried helping as best as they could. Amaya took down a few herself and severely injured many. From here and there, she would hear the foul spitting of _**"Traitor!"**_ ring from the shadows' mouths.

"AHHH!"

"Mother!" Aneko screamed, flying up above the ruckus below and flew away towards the office. She dodged the shadows who tried taking her down in flight and flapped faster, turning the corner harder than expected but still keeping her balance.

Amaya slashed away three shadows as she ran up to catch Aneko. Her heart was racing, blood thumping loudly in her ears the whole way, while she thought she was too late in saving the family she had come to be friends with. Amaya didn't stop when she closed in on the slightly ajar door and broke in just to duck from Aneko's form.

"Aneko!" She gasped, whirling around to see if the black phoenix was okay.

"Amaya, look out!" Aneko screeched. But it was too late. Large and deadly teeth impaled her shoulder, making her scream. She thrashed around, biting down blindly at the enemy's backside. That was enough to make it pull away completely. Amaya growled, baring her fangs as her vision cleared.

Her heart stopped.

It was her cougar form, standing back with a sick grin planted on her face. "Hello, dear pest…" she drawled, her jaw curling upwards. With a quick push, she pounced on top of Amaya and they started flailing around, the fake Amaya trying to bite down solely on Amaya's neck.

Amaya barely missed death to the neck by her, but wasn't out of it yet. The doppelganger nailed her on the already injured shoulder, making the shadow wolf hissed and yelp in pain. Thrusting her hind legs under fake Amaya's stomach, she pushed her off while ripping a deep wound on her. Amaya rolled back onto all four, snarling up a storm.

"You monster! You took everything from me! And you shall pay, Leiko beast!"

"Me!? It is you who need to pay, pest!" Leiko tried to take Amaya down again, but she saw it coming. She dodged to the right, whirled around on her heels and delivered another blow, this time to the face. Leiko stumbled a bit, but quickly recovered with an under blow to the throat. Amaya fell backwards, writhing in pain. She coughed up a bit of blood, making her look more vicious than prior. Leiko roared loudly, her whole body bloody and bristling up in tense fur strands.

"You will die for what you caused to me and mate! You killed my mate and our future! DIE!" She charged, suddenly faster than Amaya recalled, and bit down on Amaya's throat tightly, squeezing all of her life out forever.

Amaya gasped and tried to thrash away, but that seemed to make things only worse. She tried to scream for help, but air wasn't going in nor coming out and she felt her vision start to blur. _'No…No…not…li…ke…this…hel…help…'_ Her thoughts were fading fast, and she couldn't do anything about it. Her strength was being sucked away.

Then, when she thought all was over, Leiko suddenly let go, dropping Amaya to the ground in a fit of coughs and shallow inhales of air. Amaya spun her head around to a sight to behold;

"Haruko!"

**Another stopping point for now… Geesh this can get tense l) Short it may be, but more will come in a day and a half. Until then, R&R please! -runs to the gun safe-**


	24. Siblings Are Stronger As One

_**Previous:**_

_Amaya gasped and tried to thrash away, but that seemed to make things only worse. She tried to scream for help, but air wasn't going in nor coming out and she felt her vision start to blur. 'No…No…not…li…ke…this…hel…help…' Her thoughts were fading fast, and she couldn't do anything about it. Her strength was being sucked away. _

_ Then, when she thought all was over, Leiko suddenly let go, dropping Amaya to the ground in a fit of coughs and shallow inhales of air. Amaya spun her head around to a sight to behold; _

_ "Haruko!"_

* * *

Haruko was in his demonic wolf form, a handsome combination of his powerful father's body in muscular strength, but also their mother's unusually quick and agile speed. He was a dark brown, almost completely black wolf, but even with that, his aura flowed pure anger off of his body.

"B-Brother! Wh-what are you—" Leiko began, but was stopped when Haruko

"Silence, you liar!" He snarled, charging at Leiko till she slammed up against a bookshelf. Books flew off and the wood creaked loudly at the sudden pressure against it. Leiko slashed at Haruko's face, causing him to yelp.

"You bitch! You'll pay for harming **my sister**!" He hissed venomously.

Amaya took the cue and jumped over his back and landed on Leiko's side. She bit down on her other shoulder, snapping her head in the opposite direction and felt the bone dislocate. The cougar roared, pushing Amaya away with a hard shove. Her gaze snapped from Haruko and Amaya for a few seconds, till she smirked again.

"You win this round, pest. But we'll meet again, _sister_." She held a firm and powerful gaze at Amaya. "And when that time comes, you'll regret ever coming near me…" Leiko's voice went hazy and she disappeared from sight. Amaya stood there, trying to understand what the shadow had told her. She realized how shaking her legs were, so she sat down, breathing in deeply.

Claws clicked the ground. "Am…Amaya?" She looked up at the handsome wolf towering over her. Tears of joy and relief flooded her eyes. Unable to sit still for long, Amaya pushed her face into his soft, warm and comforting chest.

"Haruko! Oh, Haruko…" She cried helplessly, moving in closer. "Haruko…it's really you…thank Kami…"

He wrapped his tail around her wolf form in security. "All this time, after Father and the others disbelieved me, I thought I was going insane. But no," He paused pulling away with a smile on his face. "You're alive, Amaya, and you're actually you."

"Mother!" Aneko's gasp brought them back to reality. Amaya's face quickly went to that of horror, and she whirled around to see Aneko huddle over her mother's form.

Her mother's injured form.

"No! No Azu!" Amaya cried, running over to her side. Azumi had been dealt with several blows to her lower body, the biggest being on her left hip. Amaya could see the bone sticking out slightly with blood dribbling out slowly but fast enough to be worried. A pool had already appeared on the ground, making Amaya gag slightly. Tadao held her upper body close to his in protection, his eyes shimmering a deep red of rage. She bowed her head, and nudged Azumi's neck. "Wake up…please wake up. I almost lost Tadao, but I can't bear to lose you."

"Ugh…" Azumi coughed up a little blood, her eyes hazy with unconsciousness. "Amaya…dear where's Aneko…"

"I'm right here, Mother…" Aneko grabbed her mother's blood hand and held it to her already dirtying purple kimono. "Please, stay strong. We need you…I need you." She choked on her voice.

Azumi chuckled weakly, looking up at her daughter's face. "You've grown so much, Aneko…I'm very grateful for having you and Tadao as my family…I love you…" Her voice seemed to be getting stronger, but Amaya knew that Azumi could easily die from the severe blood loss or an unexpected infection setting in. Stepping closer, Amaya made her voice loud enough only for Azumi to truly hear her.

"Azu, listen to me very carefully." With a shaky nod, she continued. "I'm going to release your pain from you, but it will take some time. You must trust me on this, or things will go horribly wrong." Another nod. "Good. Now I need you to…relax a little more. Any restraint or backlash could make me kill you. If I do, please do not hesitate on killing me in the process. Understand?"

Azumi nodded one more time before Amaya closed her eyes, drowning everything out of her mind. Though she has only done it once so far, Amaya felt her gut instincts saying that it would work out alright. With a painfully slow intake, she opened her jaw and began swallowing up the pain and death from Azumi's body.

Her throat burned like fire, her insides churning sickly as she sucked down gulps of black pain and death in only one suck. Inside her mind, she was growling in pain herself; the whispers of desire to eat were much stronger, but she needed to believe that she was better; that she was the alpha here.

_'Damn, I can't wait for the chance to change back into my normal form once I get that bitch.'_ she thought dryly.

After a long and extended forty five minutes, Amaya finally ran out of pain to swallow. She gasped in normal air with deep suck-ins. She opened her eyes to see Azumi had drifted off into unconsciousness, her face appearing much lively than before. With everything that Amaya did, the smaller wounds had been the only ones to completely heal, with the bigger wounds partially closed. "Take her… she needs medical assistance… go… now…" Amaya said breathlessly.

Tadao ordered some servants to bring Azumi into her room and clean up the remaining wounds on her. Afterwards, the crow demon sagged into Azumi's chair, his own arms bandaged up from the battle. "We need to go after her still. We still need to warn the Western—"

"No." Amaya interrupted, looking up and straight into his red eyes. "You will not be going with us, Tadao. You need to stay here and watch over the Eastern Palace for Azumi and for everyone else. They need a strong leader for temporary replacement. A war is coming, Tadao, and you're the only one that seems logical enough to stay back and protect the Eastern Lands as much as possible."

"But who will take my place? You and Aneko are strong, yes, but you still need someone else."

"I will be going." Haruko spoke up in his deep voice. "No way am I letting my sister and my love get hurt any longer." Aneko blushed when he transformed into his humanoid form and placed his arms around her waist. "I promise, Tadao—no,_ Lord_ Tadao—that I will protect your daughter no matter what. We'll figure out what's going on."

Tadao looked like he wanted to counter back, but he stopped himself and caved in to Haruko's promise. "Very well. But you must leave now." He stood up and pulled out a giant map, showing the Feudal Lands. "I recommend the fastest way to the Western Palace not be going straight across, but curving up to the Northern borders and through a town by the name of Chiwa Village. Aneko you know where I'm talking about, so I would recommend you lead Haruko and Amaya there." He pointed down on a speck that was almost right on the borders of East and North. "Once arrival of Chiwa, continue through and don't stop for anything except for rest. It will take you until the night after tomorrow. By then however, I fear that the war will be coming to the middle of the Lands. Right here." He dragged his finger over to the very middle of the map, where to the right resided the Grand Ball Palace.

Amaya scanned over the map one more time before pulling away. "Okay. We got it." As they moved to the doors, Amaya looked back and smiled at Tadao. "I'm proud of you Tadao. _Lord_ Tadao. I knew this day would come, though not in this sort of danger."

Tadao chuckled sadly. "I know. Be careful, my dear sister. And good luck." He watched her run off to Haruko and Aneko.

_'Be brave for all of us… Queen Amaya.'_ He thought.

o / o / o / o

She had never run so fast in her life! The wind blazed past her body as her legs pumped even harder to increase the distance eaten up by her paws. Though she was running at an incredible speed, it was nothing compared to the lightning form zipping past her. Haruko easily outmatched her speed as a wolf, considering he was the bigger male and he also had far more exercise as one.

Taking in a raspy gulp, she pushed even harder, not caring that she nearly fell over and got severely injured. Aneko flew up above their heads, her beautiful wings beating just as fast as Amaya's legs were running. She had a very determine look on her face, just like Haruko and her felt.

They blew past many villages that resided many miles near and far, not really caring that they were growing hungry or thirsty. When they were at the point of passing out, that's when they would stop and rest. The sun was rising above the distant mountains, giving off a beautiful hue of multiple colors of the morning. Haruko, Amaya, and Aneko all had been running/flying for the past seven hours, just starting to getting into the northern most part of the Eastern Lands. However, with that said, they still had approximately 100 miles left to run, compared to the 426 miles they had ran so far.

Before they had bailed the Eastern Palace, Haruko insisted on checking quickly on the servants, guards, and soldiers and their conditions. Sadly, the Palace had lost twenty brave people, thirteen of them being servants, two guards, and the other five being soldiers. They had fought protectively for the sake of Azumi's life. The new trio gave them their gratitude and, in return, were given all of their support and love before leaving.

"Amaya! You're slowing down too fast!" Haruko called out. Amaya shook her head and jumped over a large boulder in her line of direction, picking up to be running next to her brother. She felt excited, despite everything that's going on now, to be racing side by side with Haruko. Years and years prior, they had run together around the Southern Lands, when things weren't as hostile as now.

"Hey guys!" Aneko screeched from above. "I can see Gansu Village up ahead. We'll be there in about twelve minutes!"

"Got it!"

Not breaking stride, the siblings kept silent while running. Too much ran through both of their minds at once to try making conversation. Amaya feared what lied ahead, but knew she had to be strong for everyone. They all had to be if anything was to go at least somewhat right.

Finally, Amaya and Haruko slowed down till they were merely trotting fast when they past Gansu Village's entrance. The sight was not pretty in the least. Huts were burned or blown to bits and pieces on the ground, ashes and debris replacing where they once stood. Bodies laid everywhere, some half-eaten, others nothing but their skeletal forms, many decaying from erosion and over time natural decaying from Mother Nature. Mixed scents of rotten fruits, blood, moldy wood, death, and burned flesh entered Amaya's brain from panting heavily. It made her vision blur and her stomach churn viciously.

Unable to take it, she ran over to a bush and emptied her already half-empty stomach. Haruko walked over, his tail smoothing over her back in comfort as she finished up. "Such irony and pain. Kami, these shadows have grown so much stronger than we've realized." She looked all around, seeing the bodies of women, men, and even children. Her heart lurched into her throat. "So much selfish killing, how can the Gods allow such creatures be born?"

"I do not know, my dear sister, I honestly do not know." Haruko said, his voice thick with grief. He broke his gaze from her back and looked around carefully, checking to see if any shadows lurked silently in the protective darkness of shade. "Maybe we should—"

"Shh!" Amaya hissed, snapping her head up with ears perked high and pupils hugely round. "Do you hear that?" She whispered.

Knowing not to break her concentration by talking, Haruko listened with curiosity. Though he was faster and mainly the stronger sibling, his ears couldn't pick up anything well as Amaya's when it comes to listening. Silence met him for several long seconds, but then he heard it; a rustle, a rustle that was frantic, as if whoever it could be was running. Lifting his nose up, he sniffed out the tainted air's scents. Through all of the combining scents, he smelt fear.

Fear, which meant someone was alive, and had survived the invasion.

Then, just when he was going to alert Amaya, Aneko was already on the scent, sailing past them with adrenaline speed. Haruko didn't need to say anything, because he and Amaya were on Aneko almost instantly.

The rustling grew louder, more often, which was followed by a hard thump. The sound of skin hitting something rough and splitting open gave Amaya a sense of motherly concern along with the quiet yelp. Bursting through the bushes, she skidded to a halt with a grunt. "Oh my." She breathed.

Aneko landed on Haruko's as he, too, came to a stop. They were now staring at a young demon girl, her hair matted with blood and dirt. The red gown she was wearing now looked more of a dull red with all the mud and blood on it, lifeless like the village. Even the little girl's eyes, which were a beautiful sky blue color, were dulled and only filled with fear. Her form was shaking very hard as she held something, it looked like a half-eaten rotten fruit, in her hand against her chest.

Aneko transformed into her humanoid form, bending down on one knee. "It's okay, little one. We won't hurt you." She tried saying in a soothing voice. The demon girl didn't budge from her spot; but rather moved farther away.

Amaya felt her heart reach out, but she stopped when Haruko walked up and gave the girl a comforting smile. "There are no worries here, little one. We just want to see if you're okay." He said. Somehow, his handsome voice made her relax a bit and bring back a little life to her eyes. "Can you tell us what happened here, dear?" He whined, dropping his head down and giving her big, wolf puppy eyes.

That made her cave in even more. "The…shadows…they…they harmed Momma and Daddy." She whimpered sadly. "Are…are they okay? Are Momma and Daddy awake…"

The shadow wolf's kin appeared as if he had been dealt with a hard slap to the face. He bowed his head, moving closer till his huge muzzle was cuddled sympathetically under her tiny chest. "I'm sorry, little one. But there are no survivors that we saw. Except you."

For many long seconds, Amaya watched the little girl's face shift through many emotions. Shock, disbelief, horror, anguish, grief, mourn, and finally; lost. But, when she was about to walk forward and serve some extra comfort, the little girl sunk into Haruko, her little arms barely coming over his large and fluffy black brown neck with the muffled sound of her whimpering breaking the air. Aneko and Amaya looked at each other, Amaya nodding to the phoenix.

When the little girl pulled away, her eyes were slightly bloodshot, but then she suddenly gasped, like she just remembered something. "Oh no!" She said, dropping down and grabbed her fruit. She turned on her heels and ran off.

Stunned, all three animal demons looked at one another before going after the little girl. They watched her slip under a large, uprooted tree and disappear inside. Haruko had to push his muscular body in roughly, while Aneko was caught by Amaya and both girls easily dropped inside, much to the wolf demon's dismay.

Amaya's sight quickly adjusted to the darkness, and noticed the girl dropping the fruit down on the ground. The sound of baby cooing drew everything together in Amaya's mind. "Their her kin!" She breathed.

"Hai." The girl spoke, watching carefully as they walked closer to her. "Little brother Katsu and youngest brother Ken'ichi are hungry." She explained in a shy voice.

"What is your name, little one?" Aneko asked, dropping out of Amaya's jaws and flapping over till she was at eye level with her. The little girl had to be no taller than three feet tall right, making Aneko's three and a half form towering over her a little.

Gulping, she said weakly, "Mayu, Miss…" She paused, looking up at Aneko.

"My name is Aneko, little Mayu, and these are my friends," She gestured with a wing to Amaya and Haruko. "Amaya and Haruko. They're kin as well and they love each other very much."

"Aneko…you're the princess of the Eastern Lands?"

"Hai. And Amaya and Haruko are the prince and princess of the Southern Lands. We came through here…to see if there were any survivors of the invasion that was mentioned a few months back."

Mayu nodded. "It was so sudden…Mayu and brothers didn't see it coming…And now Mayu must protect and survive with brothers. Alone."

"No." Haruko stepped up, a sudden fatherly look on his face. "_We_ will protect you and help you. That's what we do best at."

Mayu looked shocked again, however it washed away to happiness. "You will?" She gasped, smiling widely.

Amaya finally entered the conversation. "Yes. And I think Haruko with Aneko will raise and care for you three like family. Family is important these times; it's what creates the invisible bonds of love and friendship. Do you accept such thing?"

"Yes! Oh yes!" She squealed, jumping over and hugging Haruko again. "Momma… Daddy…family…" Mayu sighed. Aneko seemed startled by the unexpected love and happiness flowing off of Mayu's aura, but she quickly welcomed it into her heart, knowing that they could never leave children behind at such times. They were vulnerable, as well as the next generation of peace and life.

Amaya watched Haruko and Aneko proudly walk over and check on the younger boys, to see if they're doing all right. Haruko came back to her and nodded with a smile. "They're just sleeping. Luckily, both are old enough to eat solid food. We should get them out of here and to a safer area."

"Of course. But we can't sidetrack ourselves on our journey. We need to still warn the Western Lands and Sesshomaru too." Amaya said, looking away. She walked to the entrance, staring at something in the air. With a tired sigh, she spoke up again. "Bring the children with, brother. We won't leave them here, so we'll just have to carry them along and pick up the past even more."  
"You speak as if you've this all thought out, sister." He paused, eyeing her back with suspicion "Where are you getting at, Amaya?"

"We will take them to…an old friend of mine's village. You'll know it when you see it. Come on…I can sense disturbances in the air." Amaya didn't wait as she trotted back outside. Haruko stood there for a few seconds before shrugging at her odd behavior. He knew she was up to something good; his hunches never lied on that part.

Amaya waited patiently outside for almost thirty minutes before the two finally came out, with Mayu on top of Haruko's back. Aneko flapped slightly harder to keep herself afloat in the air with the two boys inside a large moss-woven sheet. That way, they could fly longer distance as the boys slept quietly. "Ready?"

"Ready." They said. Mayu nodded shyly and they were on their way once more.


	25. We Meet Again, Old Friend

Many more hours of almost complete nonstop running had flown by for Amaya and her friends. She ordered them to stop when Mayu's tiny stomach growled. It was only then that Amaya realized how hungry she was; or more like how all of them were hungry. She hunted for them, catching large rabbits, trout, and a mouse for herself, despite the fact that she inhaled down the two biggest trout and the mouse before satisfying her fill. The boys ate the five smaller fish that Aneko had caught herself, while Haruko and her ate a rabbit together. Mayu ate the smaller one and one small trout all by herself.

When they were done eating, they set off once more. The pack had nearly reached the Western Lands when Mayu started nodding off, causing her to lean more towards the ground. Haruko shifted his shoulders to hold her up a little longer as he ran up next to Amaya.

"Let's rest, sister. Mayu's falling asleep more and more. Plus, I think Aneko's at her limit for the night." He said, indicating with his head to the phoenix bobbing up and down in the air. Even he, a wolf with high stamina, was slower than usual.

Amaya shouldn't be left out. She had wanted to stop for the night a few hours prior, but she had pushed her sore muscles past that request. Half-panting, half-sighing, she nodded in agreement and started slowing down, leading them into a dense forest. She limped quickly into a cave that she found, glancing every so often over her shoulders to see if they were keeping up. They were, but Aneko was sagged very low to the ground had she not been carrying the two boys in the cloth.

They practically collapsed onto the cold but welcoming stone ground, panting profusely. Haruko carefully placed Mayu next to his stomach, wrapping his tail around her to keep her warm. Aneko crawled over to him and opened the cloth for the boys to roll next to their older sister. They shuffled a bit before settling down near Haruko's warm fur. Aneko nuzzled her head under his jaws, cooing softly as she too drifted off to sleep. Haruko licked her head in affection and settled his head down next to hers.

Amaya managed to catch one last look with him before he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep, seeing the signs of obvious love and fatherly satisfaction coming from him. She was so proud of him; he had found his family, just like she had all those months prior with Sesshomaru.

Up until she was shifted into a shadow.

Haruko had taken care of her for years, and for years she wanted to pay him back in any kind of way. He had searched for love, not tolerating his father trying to marry off females to him, regardless if they were half- or full demonesses.

But he had found her. Aneko was his love, Amaya knew that much. Ever since the party, she could see them growing closer and closer. She was certain after everything would—hopefully—go back to normal, he would ask her hand in courtship and marriage. They could live with Mayu, Katsu, and Ken'ichi as a family that would do greater deeds than their parents—if possible—had done.

Despite being exhausted, Amaya couldn't sleep. Her mind was somehow still going. Her eyes were wide open and her senses were highly erect still and it was annoying her to the point she had to control herself from growling. Something was up and she wanted—

She gasped quietly when a powerful pain ripped through her stomach and lower reigons. Amaya growled softly, quickly peering back to Haruko to see if he had woken from her noises. Luckily, he was so tired that he drifted into a deep slumber for the night.

Not wanting to take the chance, Amaya stood upright clumsily, her legs suddenly feeling like water. Her stomach felt like it was being punched in all the wrong places, making tears flood her eyes. Amaya clenched her teeth together tightly till they ached, her head growing light and dizzying. She forced herself to walk ever so slowly to the cave entrance, only to see raindrops falling from the top portion of the cave mouth. Amaya, had she not been in pain, would've sat down and savored the hypnotic sound of the **'plip plop' **echo they left behind in the air.

Her skin burned now, growing hotter until she was panting out puffs of pained breath. Groaning, she continued to walk, enjoying little of the rain that fell on her pelt till it was soaked to her bones.

Amaya didn't know how long she had walked, an hour, maybe just a few minutes, hell she didn't know if it was the next morning. But when she finally felt her mind clear, she looked up to see that she was not in the same forest that she and her friends were in. No, she knew this forest; this forest brought back the painful memories of her youth.

Of the death of her children and the message of her mate's death.

_'But how?'_ She wondered through the pain. _'This is on…the end of the Western and Southern Lands! How did I get here?'_ Fear replaced her pain for many moments. She felt scared, lost, in pain, alone.

All that she remembers feeling as a young cougar.

Shaking her head, Amaya forced down everything from her body, including the pain, not caring that it could be only just a few seconds. She had to find shelter; even as a cougar and now a shadow wolf, Amaya knew that she could chill down faster than necessary. Something that was not allowed since a war was going to happen in only a matter of long hours away.

She started searching for a place to settle down for the night. Lifting her nose higher into the growing cold air, Amaya sniffed with short breath, scenting out the various creatures that had lived in the forest. Squirrels, rabbits and other various prey were snuggled up in their dens. Larger prey, such as owls and even a few coyotes, had left the forest area to seclude themselves in their warm nests.

However, there was one scent that she picked out. The same scent that was of herself. It was faint, almost completely faded out with the centuries of non-usage and the seasonal changes.

Her nest. By Kami, her nest was here. Which meant they were…

Amaya choked on a sob as she walked towards the scent, her whole form moving in a zombie-like trance. When she reached it, the tears of pain and sadness that she'd been holding back all this time fell down her wet face.

An ancient tree had fallen many years before Amaya had been born. However, to this day, it had hardly even eroded away thanks to years and years of moss and vines around it. A hole had been dug out by Amaya when she had tried finding a place to birth her fledglings as a young and new mother.

The hole was still there, with the only difference being more vines had covered it up. _'If it hasn't changed, then they're over here…'_ She limped over to two distinctive stones erecting from the ground. On them was deeply engraved one words;

Ryo. Keiji.

Under the stones lied her dead children.

"My sons, my dearest boys, Mama's home." She said softly, bending her head so that her nose was just touching the tips of the stones. "I'm so sorry for everything…Oh how I wish I could give your life back. So much has happened, my Ryo and Keiji. I wish every time at the thought of you two and of my first mate what life would've been like for us all. As a family." The pain biting her sides was becoming very hard to sustain. That and her pain over her deceased children. "I love you both so…much…"

Suddenly, bushes from behind her rustled loudly. She jumped up on her feet and faced them, her downed fur sticking up in the light rain. Curling her lips, Amaya braced her muscles, waiting patiently for a chance to attack the intruder…

But it didn't come. What did come was shock and overwhelming love, seeing the person she hasn't protected since her departure.

"Amaya?!"

"Kagome!" She howled before being engulfed in the arms of her close friend. "Kagome! It's really you right?" Amaya said pulling away to take a long look at the priestess. Already, the shadow wolf could tell how much her friend had changed, given that her aura was so much stronger, mature, than when she had first met Amaya. Her features had shaped into beautifully matured cheeks, lips; everything about her had changed. Her eyes, doe-brown they were, glowed with power and love far greater than Amaya would've imagined. She wore the traditional priestess clothing, which made her even more beautiful.

"Yes…it's me, Amaya. But are you really Amaya? Because the Amaya I knew wasn't a wolf." Kagome said, her harp voice filled with slight confusion and partially joking.

Amaya couldn't help herself as she started laughing with joy. More pain had ebbed away for the moment and was replaced with happiness. "Yes, it is I, Amaya, my dear friend Kagome. Though many would not have hugged me and thought of me as Amaya right now." She said half-heartedly.

"Amaya, you seem distraught and confused like me. Is something wrong?" Kagome asked quietly.

Amaya quickly explained everything that had happened after she'd left Kaede's village and travelled all on her own. She explained how much pain, love and guidance she was given and she gave to others. How she fell for Sesshomaru and what has become of him currently. When she finished, Amaya felt out of breath from all the things she explained.

Kagome's face registered completely awe and horror. "That bitch! She'll pay for what she has done to you. I was on my way to the Western Palace to report our village has no shadow's invading whatsoever—" Kagome stopped talking when she noticed her friend groaning and she fell to the ground on her side, writhing in pain. "Oh, Kami! Amaya, what's wrong?! Where does it hurt?"

"Urgh! H-Here…" Amaya gasped, lowering her paw over her stomach and lower body. "By Kami, what's happening to me? Am I going insane like all shadows do…" She hissed painfully when Kagome's uncomfortable warm hand rested on her stomach. Amaya looked up at her, her eyes filled with plead and concern.

But she got the unexpected reaction of calm and a smile from her instead of fear and dread.

"You have no worries, my friend. Come with me please…"

o / o / o / o

Haruko was awaken by not the rays of sunlight light, but of something else. In fact, there wasn't any rays of sunshine floating into the cave. Nothing was shining;

Only growing darkness looming over the entire lands.

Gasping, he sprang up onto his feet, looking around for Aneko and the others when he didn't see them next to him from last night. "Aneko? Where are you?" he forced out in a hasty whisper.

"Over here."

The wolf spun around to see the black phoenix huddle up far inside the cave, her black feathers puffed out as she was placing herself in front of the children, who were shaking in fear. Ken'ichi was whining loudly, obviously sensing something was wrong and it was scaring him. Haruko walked over and licked his face, quieting his noises.

"What is wrong, my love? Where's Amaya?" He asked, leaning over and rubbing his head against her little bird one. When she pointed with a wing outside, he turned and snarled at the many shadows passing the cave. However, he quickly noticed that none of them were glancing their way. "Why can't they see us, or even smell us?"

"I placed a barrier spell over the cave. It'll last for as long as I deem so." Aneko explained shakily. "And I don't know where Amaya is. Should we go and search for her?"

"We're out of time." He whispered, mostly to himself. He turned back to the children. "Young ones, we need to leave."

"But Daddy—!" Mayu started, but Haruko stopped her with his tailtip against her lips.

"No buts, Mayu. We need to go and help our friends. You must promise me and your Mama right now that you'll watch over your brothers while we're gone." He said. The wolf saw Mayu hesitate and shake a little harder. "Listen to me, Mayu. You need to be brave for Daddy and Mama and your brothers too. They need you. Promise me you'll stay and guard them." It was more of a request than a question.

Mayu was quiet for many seconds, but then nodded her head. "I will, Daddy. Please come back to us afterwards, promise?"

He licked her face affectionately. "I promise." Haruko hated to lie to his newly adopted daughter. But it was something he was going to try holding onto. These children didn't need to lose another family so early. He pulled away and nodded to Aneko. "Let's go."

With one last look at the children, they ran outside of the barrier's zone into the dark forest. "Which way?" he called up to Aneko.

"This way. We don't want to grab their attention too early." She flew outside of the shadows' trial they left behind. Haruko followed her, his stomach heavy with worry and dread. Aneko flew low to the ground beside him, keeping him some company. "Don't worry, Haruko. We'll get there, I know it. We'll meet up with Amaya before we know it." She tried to make him happy. She tried, and that was something he was grateful for at the moment.

**Well that's it for today! It may seem like a sucker punch to some of you when Kagome came in so unexpectedly, but it feels like it's worth it! In the next few chapters, we'll be engulfed with darkness… Until next time, R&R please and have a good day!**


	26. The War of Darkness Part 1

He could feel it. The power, the hunger, the _desire to kill_. He was soon to be ruler. Everyone had thought of him crazy, that he was never a true ruler of the Southern Lands. This was not going to be the case; especially for Sesshomaru, considering he always protected and served as the Majestic Cold Lord. But who cared about children or women unless they were used for toys? He didn't care. _He simply didn't care_.

Which lead to the death of his wife. He had killed her because she had interfered. He thought she was more than that; he expected her to listen to everything he did and say it was right. Because it was right! But no, she had to go and try warning their eldest of the plans. She was a beautiful demoness, yes that was true, but like they say about felines;

Curiosity kills the cat.

Leiko had told him everything that had gone wrong at the Eastern Palace. He had been so close to assassinating that pest of a woman. He couldn't tolerate her, even after he would take over everything.

But to find out that _**she **_was still alive, he made everything speed up faster. He would **not **have her, a pest, destroy his plans. War was going to happen, and he was excited for it, for he knew - he was damn positive about it - that when everything ended, he would be the new Emperor of the Lands. And nothing would stop him.

_** Absolutely. Nothing.**_

Hotashi was broken out of his thoughts when he saw the shadows filling up behind him and his hypnotized soldiers. The shadows were anxious, he could feel it. He was too. He looked back ahead and smirked evilly as he sighted the Northern Kingdom warriors and Lord Kouga himself walking forth.

Then the Eastern Kindgom with Lady Azumi. He was, least to say, shocked for the day when he saw his servant—_former servant_ now—walking next to Lady Azumi. Hotashi scoffed in disgust at the thought of Tadao actually being his servant all this time. He knew one day he would betray the more powerful kingdom for love.

_'Pathetic.'_ He thought.

The final Kingdom to arrive was the Western, with Lord Sesshomaru and Amaya—no, _Leiko_—leading them forth. Everything was set in place, and everything would go horribly wrong for them when they fought him.

"Lord Hotashi!" Lady Azumi shouted. "This is your last chance. This is all of our last chances to reclaim peace for good!"

"Too late, dear!" He said in his viciously deep voice, his eyes already turning into his demonic dark red-black shade. "You all should've accepted my offering before and things would've been a lot less…blood and pain dealt." He let out a hysterical and dark laugh that echoed the lands of the Grand Ball Palace. Every soldier except for his own shuddered in unbeknownst fear and doubt.

He glared at Sesshomaru with a twisted grin. "Too bad that everything has gone wrong for you, boy! You were never suited for ruling any lands. None of you were! And that's why I'm taking the throne to the next level, while you all shall perish under my power!" He roared. His soldiers cheered in frightfully excited agreement.

"FATHER! STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

He snapped around to see his son, by Kami his own _son_, running towards the center of the soon-to-be battlefield. "Haruko! How dare you!" He snarled menacingly.

"Why are you doing this?!" He countered back, standing up straight and glaring his harden purple eyes tinted with deep amber yellow. "Why are you trying to take over everything! Why betray us—"

"It is not I who has betrayed, my son. It is you and all of them that didn't stand by my side when I gave them every possible chance! But now, looking at you, I do not see my son. My son would've stayed with me as well and fought to kill this life of so-called peace. The shadows and I will take over everything, and I mean _everything! _And there will be nothing you can do to stop us. War is everything! Power is everything!"

Haruko flinched like he had been slapped at the sound of those insane words. Aneko, also in her humanoid form, turned to her mother and the Northern Kingdom side. "Please Mother! Kouga! Don't do this! War between the Lands should never be broken out again! Stop this now!"

"Silence, Aneko!" Kouga shouted, though his voice contained the hints of pain and betrayal. "It's gone too far. I'm sorry!"

Aneko whirled around in hopes to seek out some assistance from Sesshomaru. But she only saw that his eyes, his whole face, though it placed out as emotionless, she could see the disappointment and hatred in it. And the fact that he was standing close to Leiko disguised as Amaya. Her heart broke.

They had betrayed each other, along with everyone that walked with them.

Hotashi glared at the princess of Lady Azumi, seeing how close she was to Haruko. _'So, Haruko has fallen for a pest. Even more useless to the throne than I had expected.'_ He thought with disgust. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded to his sniper archer.

"Kill them."

The shadow bowed obediently. He pulled out an arrow and notched it quickly, and taking aim just as fast. He'd never missed a shot; ever. When he had a clear view of his target, he sent fatal shadow poison into his arrow. He pulled the arrow back farther, before letting go.

Haruko heard the sharp but silent twang of something shooting off, followed by the high-pitch whistling.

And it was getting close; fast.

He turned to Aneko and screamed for her, just as Lady Azumi did so too. "ANEKO!"

Another high-pitch whistle flew over his head. He looked just in time to see a purified arrow come in contact with the shadow arrow. The two exploded in midair, making a loud 'BOOM!'. Haruko spun around to the direction in which the shadow arrow had been shot from. He gasped when he saw another arrow filled with shadow poison again coming at them. This time, Haruko placed himself in front of Aneko to protect her. Even if he died, he hoped she would protect the children with their love.

The arrow came closer but, again, was exploded in midair a second time; this time being from a shadow blast much stronger than the poison. Everyone turned to face the shadow blast's direction, including Haruko and Aneko. Relief and shock made Haruko's heart stop, but a smile spread wide on his face.

**"Amaya!"**

Hotashi stared at the shadow wolf standing proudly next to a beautiful priestess, who possessed unimaginable power judging from her aura. They both had determined faces on, and he knew his plans were shattered.

_His daughter, __**Amaya Narakura**__, had yet again destroyed his plans._

-o-

Kagome jumped onto Amaya's backside and held on as the shadow wolf landed beside her kin and friend with one leap. Stepping off, she turned to face the Norhtern Kingdom. Aneko turned again to her mother of the Eastern Kingdom. Haruko continued to glare at his betraying father of the Southern Kingdom.

Amaya, with heavy feet, turned to and stood up against the Western Lands. And Sesshomaru as well.

"Kouga!" Kagome spoke first. "This is wrong! None of you, nor of Sesshomaru or Lady Azumi should be doing this to one another. It is all of Hotashi. He is the cause of the chaos, as you can see now." She threw a hand over to the Southern Kingdom warriors. "The shadows are the real cause. They are his warriors. He is the reason for the loses on everyone's lands and villages. He's a murderer in every way possible!"

**"**Now do you understand more, Mother?!" Aneko screeched angrily. "He tried killing us here in your eyes! We must join and defeat his army of shadows, not be separate and fight one another for nothing!"

"Father, you are going to face your end here and now. Even after you and Amaya, or should I say Leiko," He glared at her, smirking inwardly when she had a horrified face on her face. "You took my sister's flesh and bone only to replace her with yours and take her place to fool us all!"

Sesshomaru looked at Leiko coldly. "Is this true, Amaya? Are you not…Amaya?" He hissed dangerously low. Amaya herself could tell that he didn't believe them just yet. He needed more proof.

"Of course not, my love!" Leiko lied so easily and swiftly, bringing a hand up to his striped cheek. "They're lying. I'm here for you and you to me. I'll fight beside you forever." She said it almost as if she really was Amaya.

Almost.

"Sessho!" She howled in pity. "Please, don't let that witch fool you! Please, I'm the real Amaya!" Sesshomaru snapped his head in her direction, taking her in with disgust written all over his face. Amaya felt it and she shrunk back a little.

"Liar!" Leiko stood up and glared at Amaya. "The real Amaya would've never left her mate and gone off on her own, now would she? I'm Amaya because I love and I am his mate!"

Amaya heart felt like it was being stabbed. She didn't know what to do to prove herself. She frantically looked at her friends, but was met with only fear and uncertainty. _'Even they were still doubting me!'_ She thought.

"No…No…don't do this to me…I'M NOT THE IMPOSTER!" She roared. Suddenly, her dark markings glowed brightly, blinding everyone. It didn't seem to dim away, only growing more and more bright with every second that ticked by.

"Kami, prove to me that I'm real!" She cried out in wailing sadness. Her bones started to crack, her fur dissipating, her whole being was morphing.

Amaya opened her moon eyes in the light. She looked around to see that she wasn't standing in the dark world of the Feudal Lands. Currently she stood, confused and scared, in a beautiful grass field. Daylight actually was amongst this vision.

_"My love…" _A voice spoke in a melodic call; the voice that she had left behind many centuries with mourn and sadden love.

Amaya turned to see a beautiful man standing a few feet away. He stood just as tall as Sesshomaru, looked youthful as the day she had mated with him, his long black hair tied up in a topknot. He wore no armor, but instead a handsome blue and black kimono with white fire on the sleeves and had on black hamaka too.

He was wearing everything she remembered of their mating ritual and then their marriage ceremony. Her eyes welded up in newly shedding tears.

"Naoki…Naoki!" She cried, raced over to his open arms. To feel his warmth surround her cold body, to feel him once more, her first mate, her first love, was something she wished to have one more time. "My darling, everything is so wrong now…Sesshomaru…he's…" She trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed to talk about her current love now.

Naoki just laughed, pulling her head up to look into his copper green eyes. _"I know. I've been watching you, just like I promised. He doesn't believe your words because he is under control. Though he doesn't know that either."_ He said softly, leaning down till their foreheads touched.

Amaya choked on her sob. "Please, Naoki, I can't stand being pushed away again. Not anymore! Oh please, my first love, how can I tell him how…"

_"Amaya, do you love him enough to risk your life to protect him? To stand beside him and love him as much as you loved me and even more? Forever and eternity?" _

She knew what he was telling her; it was a win-lose sort of solution. He would protect her and assist her, but in the end it could potentially kill her. But it was worth it.

Because she loved and cherished _her Ice Prince_.

"Yes." She said, not breaking his gaze. "I do! Give me strength, Naoki, not pain, and still love me even after I claim another."

"Always have. Always will." He whispered. Their surroundings grew white and bright like the sun. Then, he too, grew as bright as everything around them, his form transforming into a white crow.

It engulfed her form, first flowing into her markings, turning them a creamy white, then her blood and body. She could feel his strength, their love help her prove everything that was thought to be lies by everyone watching.

Haruko, Aneko, everyone, gasped at the spectacularly beautiful woman in black now standing where Amaya had been. Kagome could see the markings shining through the black kimono with white flames on it. Though her eyes were still moon white and non-pupil, she could see the determination of a cougar, the leadership of a wolf, and the dominance of the inuyokai dog flow in them.

It was Amaya alright, and she was back and stronger than even Hotashi could start comprehending.

**I APOLOGIZE FOR THE ABSENTCE! The house was being worked on and my family believed it was not allowed to stay in until today! Plus! I had a wedding to help out at. There will be THREE CHAPTERS uploaded! All of which will concluded most of your tensions! R&R please!**


	27. The War of Darkness Part 2

_**Previous: **_

_Haruko, Aneko, everyone, gasped at the spectacularly beautiful woman in black now standing where Amaya had been. Kagome could see the markings shining through the black kimono with white flames on it. Though her eyes were still moon white and non-pupil, she could see the determination of a cougar, the leadership of a wolf, and the dominance of the inuyokai dog flow in them. _

_ It was Amaya alright, and she was back and stronger than even Hotashi could start comprehending._

* * *

She turned to face the Western side, glaring menacingly at Leiko. Without speaking, she lifted her hand up, palm out, and shot a purified shadow blast at her. Leiko, seeing it just in time, dodged out from Sesshomaru's side and landed a few feet away.

"Leech, you take away my mate, and now you shall pay by dying." Amaya said, her voice echoing like the wind. Leiko shivered involuntarily, but a proud grin was implanted on her face again. With a deep chuckle, she disappeared from the Western side. Amaya frown deepened when she heard the shadow arise on the Southern side, next to Hotashi.

"Say goodbye, dear sister. **Attack**!" Leiko barked. Hotashi nodded and signaled his soldiers and the shadow minions to charge. Amaya turned around just in time to see a huge wave of darkness trailing down the hillside, like a black tsunami.

"Eastern Lands! Northern Lands! Western Lands! Join and fight together!" Haruko bellowed. "Join now and fight with your lives!"

His response was the cheer and all soldiers charged towards the shadows and Southern warriors.

The war had begun and blood shall shed upon the Lands like it had many millennia years ago.

Amaya and Kagome stood side by side as the wave of darkness got closer. With a short intake, Kagome notched an arrow, the tip already glowing a rich white-pink. Amaya, with a quick flick of her wrists, had a steel tessen fan in each of her hands, the sharp spike ends all sparking flames of purified energy. Bringing them up to her face, it only made her look even more dangerous than before.

When Kagome let go of her arrow, Amaya slashed her tessen fans through the air, making a high-pitch whistling noise. Tiny white flames circled in harmonized movement around Kagome's purity arrows. Though they appeared weak and useless, when the arrow impaled one shadow in the eye and it's power blew outwards, the flames exploded as if they had been lit by oil. The explosion killed many shadows and warriors on contact, while injuring quite a few too.

"Kagome, you shall be protected more in the wooded area. Come." Amaya dipped down and lifted Kagome off the ground. Kagome nodded and allowed the demoness to carry her as she ran quickly into the forest area, away from the blood and war.

As Amaya went to place Kagome down, she stopped and jumped back abruptly. What she had heard and then missed was the shadow fire now dwindling to embers on the forest ground. She looked up into the shadowed off trees and bushes. "So you come and fight me finally, coward." She growled lowly.

Leiko came out from cover, smirking proudly. "Oh, dear sister, how I've waited for days, for years, on this coming battle. To see you fall under your own body."

Amaya's face scrunched up as she place Kagome behind her. "What do you mean, pest? You couldn't face me during all the other times? I call that pathetic, like the vermin that you control here." She taunted harshly.

The shadow snarled, crouching down into a low stalk position. Her form was quickly shrouded in black mist before it dimmed away and she stood as a cougar. Leiko laughed when she saw Amaya grimace. "You like it? Oh, don't worry, dear sister, you'll be able to see this beautiful spectacle one last time before you die."

"I wouldn't count on that. Kagome," Amaya looked over her shoulder to see the priestess ready with an arrow notched. "You cover me by killing the hiding shadows around us, please."

Kagome let go of her arrow and nailed a shadow in the chest and it dissipated into nothing. "Already on it, Amaya. Go!"

Amaya shifted into her wolf form and charged at Leiko. Together, the two predators tumbled into a life-or-death battle. Leiko attacked with a downward slash, but Amaya jumped just a few inches away just enough to dodge the move and deliver one punch to the jaw. Leiko felt her bones shake and some crack under the intense pressure. She spat blood and Amaya's eyes to blind her for one second; that one second delay was enough to allow her to bite down on Amaya's neck.

However, the shadow wolf would not die so easily, and especially not to the same attack. She bunched up her hind legs, placed them under Leiko's stomach with her forelegs on the cougar's shoulders, and landed an unexpectedly stronger bite onto Leiko's shoulder. She twisted her head swiftly, hearing the satisfying pop and shatter of her right shoulder.

Leiko screamed, pulling her jaws away from Amaya's neck to voice her pain. However, it was cut off when she was forcefully pushed away, landing on her non-injured side. Blood trickled in a rush down her shoulder and fur, giving it a gory appearance. Amaya was no less; she could feel the blood flowing out of her neck, but not as quickly. Her moon eyes glowed whiter, and many blasts of white fire impaled Leiko. The cougar screamed, causing shadows to erupt from her form and destroying the fires.

"Is that…all you got? Is that all the 'powerful and almighty' Princess Amaya has?!" She roared, sending a large shadow blast at Amaya. She had very little time to react, but Amaya managed to slide out of the way and heard the shadow blast explode against a tree, causing it to stumble to the ground. Before she could stand, claws raked her face. Yelping, Amaya jumped back and glared menacingly at Leiko, blood now trailing down into her eye, making it sting and burn like the fire she released within herself.

"Why?!" She countered back. "Why me? Why not anyone else?! What is it that you have against me?"

"What do I have?! I have nothing! **NOTHING**!" Leiko screeched, slamming her body against Amaya and trapping the shadow wolf up beside the tree, her shoulders digging into the sharp and hard bark. "YOU took everything away from me! You took my mate! MY MATE!" She curled her paw and punched Amaya away. "You and your pathetic pack destroyed my life! Our live and love! You killed him to protect the world from him! He was going to make our life and the world perfect in dictator ruling!"

Amaya's heart, though sore and aching, skipped a beat. The puzzle pieces started to appear in her head, but she was missing the remaining big ones. "Who was your mate?" She coughed, shakily turning around to face the cougar.

Leiko laughed bitterly. "You don't remember?! Oh, dear pest, you truly are stupid sometimes. And here I thought his name would forever be implanted in your mind for the 'sinner' deeds he did for this world." She snarled in anger.

The final piece set in. Amaya narrowed her eyes.

"Your mate…you're the mate of Naraku." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, he was. And he was the most majestic mate one could have for the actions he—no, we—did." Leiko declared, circling Amaya. "After you took Mother's love as a even weaker cub. And that's another thing," She paused, looking straight into Amaya's moon eyes. But already Amaya could tell what was going to come out next.

"You were my sister. You were my fucking twin sister! And you claim yourself a worthy heir to the throne of Master Father!"

"He is nothing! Just like you! He's betrayed the family, that's what!" Amaya spat out more blood. Though it didn't look like it, she was observing lazily how Leiko was inching very smoothly but slowly closer to her. "What could you possibly see in him?! No less of Naraku as well."

That seemed to get to Leiko, because her aura flared up in ice cold shadows. "Everything! Father was going to pick me and Haruko to take the throne as so! And if not, then he would kill Haruko to place me on the throne! He saw everything in me that you were not." She hissed "Father trained me, he raised me, he_ loved _me! And look where you came in. A twin that never could stand up straight by herself. I'll admit, it was most amusing to see him abuse you. I was grateful you almost never even met myself. It was my humor, my entertainment, as well as his." She paused, her face scrunching up even more "But that's not what made me hate you, pest. It was Mother! She loved you and Haruko more than all of us, including Father, combine! Mother was everything to us siblings! We deserved her love for our power and rank in the family. But no! You had to come into the world with me and steal her heart forever!"

_(Flashback)_

_ "Why do you not love us, Mom?!" Young Leiko screamed at the beautiful Natsumi holding a much sick Amaya in her arms, bending down every so often to kiss her forehead. Little Amaya, many weeks after she had been born, grew sicker and sicker thanks to her father's spell that had drained her almost completely powerless and weak like a low hanyou. Though they were born together, Leiko was the oldest and grew much faster, whereas her sister had stayed as a still-growing baby when they were three years old now._

_ "I never said I hate you or my other children, Leiko. But you and your siblings have got to stop hating Amaya for nothing! Besides, she's your twin sister, for Kami sake." She scowled at Leiko before returning her attention to a whimpering Amaya. Her fever had gone down a little, but she still needed healing done to her._

_ "I don't care, Mom! Amaya will never be a sister to me. She's nothing but a pest to the throne—" Leiko didn't have time to react, when her face suddenly snapped to the side, her cheek red and burning like hot iron. She looked back at her mother, wincing when she saw that her beautiful mahogany eyes were trimming on the edges with yellow. "M-Mom…"_

_ "How dare you! After everything I give you in this family!" She hissed. "Do you see your eldest Haruko going all over his youngest sisters, saying that they are vile demonesses? No! I thought I had raised you, all of you, better than this." Natsumi turned away, placing Amaya in her little hand-carved wooden crib after she had finally settled down. She turned back and had the look of utter disgrace on her beautiful face. "Why is it that you all think she is useless to the throne? Amaya is destined for great things and I know it. I don't care how many times your father tells me otherwise, I know, as well as Haruko, that my daughter will do the things no other demon would've dared to think."_

_ "So what? Are we just scrapes of flesh to you, Mom?! We deserve that love, so give it to us!" _

_ "Leiko, don't you raise your voice at me young lady! My family has earned their honor through respect and love, and Haruko has earned that. I've given you all love and respect, but now you're fussing all over your sister?! That's unacceptable and I will not have this." Natsumi paused, looking down to the floor, her eyes bleary with held-back tears. "I'm very, very disappointed in you, Leiko Narakura. All of you! Go to your room and don't come out until you've learned your lesson" She said strictly, her features not giving anything away._

_ Leiko looked at her with disbelieving eyes. She then glared threateningly at her. "FINE! Go on and ignore us all, Mom! __**I HATE YOU**__!" She screamed, slamming the door behind her with such force that she felt the room shake under her growing power._

_(End of Flashback)_

**Now we discover the truth behind the shadow ruler, Leiko. How her hatred came to be, and how she knows Amaya so well. R&R please!**


	28. The War of Darkness Disolves

_**Previous: **_

"_So what? Are we just scrapes of flesh to you, Mom?! We deserve that love, so give it to us!" _

_ "Leiko, don't you raise your voice at me young lady! My family has earned their honor through respect and love, and Haruko has earned that. I've given you all love and respect, but now you're fussing all over your sister?! That's unacceptable and I will not have this." Natsumi paused, looking down to the floor, her eyes bleary with held-back tears. "I'm very, very disappointed in you, Leiko Narakura. All of you! Go to your room and don't come out until you've learned your lesson" She said strictly, her features not giving anything away._

_ Leiko looked at her with disbelieving eyes. She then glared threateningly at her. "FINE! Go on and ignore us all, Mom! __**I HATE YOU**__!" She screamed, slamming the door behind her with such force that she felt the room shake under her growing power._

_(End of Flashback)_

* * *

"After all those years later, she never wavered! She never fucking gave us her love like she did to you!" Leiko snarled, her eyes bright yellow in fury. "But no one else did anything! They just accepted it begrudgingly and moved on! I would not and will not have that!"

"So you had to go on and marry a monster like Naraku?! Huh! That sounds pretty stupid to me." Amaya scoffed, ducking when Leiko pounced over her head. She turned around quick enough to block an upward slash.

"He was a perfect mate to me! And I became a shadow willingly! If I couldn't be content with Mother's heart and approval over us, then times would change forever for everybody. Naraku was a brilliant and perfect mate. But you—you of all people!—killed him before we could try conceiving our first child. I wanted revenge and I've gotten something even better with it. I took your Ice Prince; just as badly as you took mine…" Her form started growing darker and darker, mist floating off like steam "And I have everything now. Everything you will never be complete without! And now that Father will win this war, I'll be the only one worthy of the throne!" Leiko huffed in a large gulp of air, then spat out another shadow blast.

Amaya didn't move a muscle. She stared straight down at the darkness that came closer and closer to her. She narrowed her eyes when it was only just 10 yards away…

**"Perish, Amaya Narakura!" **

But it never came. In fact, the blast shot straight _through_ Amaya's form and exploded on contact with another tree. Leiko, stunned and baffled, frantically looked around for the shadow wolf. Nothing.

Before she had time to register what happened, Amaya had jumped in front of Leiko and, with her front paws, slammed Leiko's face down onto the ground. Leiko's eyes snapped open only to be gazing helplessly into the moon white eyes that were once hers. Then she realized what was going on; but it was too late to move. She was stuck as Amaya chanted out in an echo voice,

_**"Great Gods above and below, release this creature of this body and into the body she once was born in. Retrace the steps and reclaim what is mine! Reclaim this body, soul, senses, emotions, and power of thy body! Banish thou from ever alerting thyself upon my words and life! Reclaim what is mine!"**_

Her markings glowed pure white, her form shifting into another in synchronized actions of Leiko.

At first, she couldn't feel anything, she couldn't hear, smell, taste the air, nor sense Leiko's aura. She felt as if she was hovering in black sludge. But, as quickly as that feeling came, it flushed away and the world became bright to her. Groaning, she suddenly realized that she was lying on the ground instead of holding Leiko down. She stood up, shaking away the wooziness from her mind.

But everything, every aspect of feeling and movement was familiar. Amaya looked down and couldn't even gasp in shock.

Her paws and legs were actually brown! Her markings were black and trailing up her legs! Amaya dared herself to look behind her; only to find the slender and athletic body of her cougar form.

Suddenly remembering Leiko, Amaya whirled around to see the shadow was now really a shadow. Black mist, darker than Amaya remembered flowing off her own body in that form, trailed either up into the air into nothingness or floated just above the grass groaned gruffly, shaking away the obvious blurriness from her mind. Amaya frowned, her ears folding back in warning as Leiko opened her moon eyes and stared at her.

The spell had worked.

"Wha?...No, no, no NO!" Leiko screeched loudly. "NO! I cannot lose like this!" Without warning, Leiko charged at Amaya. Now back into the body that she was so accustom to in the beginning, Amaya jumped straight into the air, watching as the shadow ran under her. Skidding on her feet, Leiko turned around to attack again. Amaya's tail grew stiff and hard like steel, and glowing white, and she whirled on the soles of her paws before delivering a bone-shattering and whip-like blow to Leiko's neck. The cougar demoness felt the neck bone break with vicious strength under the pressure and watched Leiko's form smash into the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"You lost because of your selfishness and cocky attitude. No one wonder Mother was so disappointed in you all." Amaya said calmly. Though her words were steady and somehow easy to saw, her body shook lightly with the adrenaline flowing out of her blood. Though Leiko didn't speak, Amaya's response was her sister's body sinking down into the depths of hell with her shadows in tow.

All Amaya wanted to do was to collapse and sleep off her injuries, while hoping that the nightmare was finally over.

But she knew she couldn't stop. Not now. Hotashi was still alive.

Hotashi slashed away another warrior with his Shadow Fang, which bled the poison of his own power and of shadows. He looked around with disgust at the sight of how many warriors had attempted to kill him off. "Such weak creature. Pathetic." He said venomously.

A high whistling noise rang in his eardrums. Hotashi turned but yelled out when something hot and sizzling pierced through his armor like a dagger. He pulled it away and threw it to the side, seeing it as a purified arrow. He smirked at the priestess walking out from her hiding.

"Well, well, it's a true honor to fight with the strongest priestess among these Lands." He said, his face not wavering as she notched another arrow. "Too bad you have to die like this."

"Not a chance, demon!" She snapped, letting go of her arrow. Hotashi ducked under it and sped after her, angling his sword so that he could kill her in one swing. He attacked, moving from down to up and waited for the blood of purity to splash upon his face.

Metal met metal abruptly, creating sparks and the sharp 'CLANG!' noise of contact. Hotashi grunted at the sudden force blockage. But he quickly discovered it wasn't just any metal; it was the steel of an ancient tessen fan.

Amaya's fan to be precise.

Before he could dodge it, her second tessen slashed open his armor, the sudden weight lose unbalancing him for a second. Enough for her to deliver a hard punch to the gut. Hotashi felt the air rush out of his lungs, as well as the feeling of blood spitting out from his mouth.

Snarling, he jumped back, landing on one knee as he breathed in deeply. When he looked up at his youngest daughter, he saw everything that he didn't want to see. Amaya's humanoid markings were glowing a deeper black, indicating her anger. However, with that her markings were trimmed around the edges with solid white, giving her an even more deadly appearance.

"You couldn't keep me down, Hotashi." Amaya growled. "You'll never be able to. I will not allow you to simply run away from your mistakes and actions. I will fight with my life to end your deadly deeds and bring peace upon these lands and my family."

Hotashi laughed hysterically. "Such brave words for such a weakling!" He exclaimed, his yellow eyes swimming with insanity.

"Why don't you come and find out." She hissed, spreading her tessen fans open again. "Kagome, stand back and wait."

Hotashi attacked first, throwing his sword at her in a downward motion. Amaya twirled on the balls of her feet, moving around the sword and holding her tessen up swiftly to take a slash towards the side. The demoness jumped away and, with a sharp twist in her left hand, sent rays of flames at Hotashi. He managed to dodge a few, but quickly was outnumbered in the many more that pierced his skin. Roaring in rage, the wolf demon clenched his sword tighter.

"Ice Spikes!" He chanted before sending millions of sharp, shadow-filled needles at her. Amaya readied her tessen fans to try fending off as many as she could. She glanced to the side to see Kagome screaming out for her to jump out of the way. There was no time to do so. Instead, she closed her eyes, the soil around her bare feet circling her form.

"Protect!" She chanted loudly.

A pinkish purple orb rose up quickly and protected her from the dagger-like picks, each one making a ear piercing snap on contact with the barrier. With both arms, Amaya spread them wide, her tessen both open. The orb suddenly shifted into a mist like being and was sucked into her fans till they, too, were pinkish purple.

"Recoil!" Together, her tessen fans released the energy simultaneously back at Hotashi. He was blown off his feet and landed on his back roughly with a hard grunt.

Not taking a chance, Hotashi jumped back onto his feet and sprinted at her, his sword once again meeting her steel fans with bright orange and yellow sparks evaporating into the air. "You don't stand a chance, pest! You shall die like you should've upon being born into this world!"

"Never." She snarled, ducking underneath him before shooting up. Her head rattled as Amaya smashed her head up on his chin, feeling the bones crack but not break. He yelped, pushing away and spitting out blood again from his mouth. "You will never win, Hotashi. Mother should've been ashamed for marrying you!"

"Oh but she was and will always be in her grave." Hotashi chuckled darkly. He smirked even wider when he saw her eyes slowly widen in horror. "That's right, child. That's why you never saw your mother after you left."

"Y-you…YOU killed her?!" She screamed, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yes I did. With the help of your dear twin, Leiko." He laughed. "She was too selfish to let you go. I loved her only when she gave birth to our first five and Leiko. Then you came in, and she wanted to start changing the ways of the my families traditions. I will not have that and she suffered the consequences. It was truly fun I'll admit. Nothing's better than tasting your love one's blood upon your lips after a kill like it."

_'He's completely mad! He killed Mother! Just for the safety of his fucking traditions and for fun?!'_ Her mind screamed.

Amaya shook her head and glared deathly at her father. "You will pay…for Mother's murder and your fucking abusement!" She charged, placing her left tessen away only to pluck out five shuriken. With a hard throw, the spell shuriken flew through the air at Hotashi.

This time he saw it coming. He slashed them into pieces and suddenly appeared in front of Amaya. Grabbing her blood-stained throat, cutting off her air supply. Without much strength, he lifted her into the air, smirking more and more as she choked for air on his tightening grip. "No one can save you now~" he said in a sing-song voice. "Not that priestess over there," He indicated with his head to Kagome, who was suddenly surrounded by more shadow warriors. "Not your friends. Not Haruko. No one." His fangs grew longer, almost a full inch out of his lips. "Perish…"

Flesh and muscle being cut broke the air. It was quickly followed by a sword sticking out of Hotashi's right side. He gasped in the unexpected pain, dropping Amaya just as he was thrown into the ground at least twenty feet away. Blood gushed out of his wound that clearly had been impaled from behind instead of front of him.

"I don't think you will be doing anymore killing, Hotashi boy."

Amaya turned to see someone most unexpected—for the third time that day. His black hair was dimly freckled with pepper-gray strands here and there, as it trailed down to his shoulders. His armor was a rich black with spikes—much like Sesshomaru's—on his left shoulder. Underneath was a grayish blue kimono with light blue flames cascading in a downwards pattern until it hit his black hakama and boots. Two sword scabbards resided peacefully against his right hip, one sword being in its place of the scabbard. The other sword was in his grasp, thumping audibly in the air, like it had its own heartbeat. The steel part of the sword was engraved with the symbol that translated into 'Blaze Typhoon', and the handle part was a thick and rich black leather wounded into a Celtic-looking swirl upon meeting steel.

"Isao Papa!" Amaya exclaimed.

"F-Father?!" Hotashi gasped in horror at the same time.

"You dare not speak of me as if we are still kin, boy." Isao barked sharply. He casually walked over to Amaya and helped her up, just as Kagome ran over to inspect her. Hotashi looked over to see Isao had also silently defeated all of his shadow warriors before attacking him. "I'm thoroughly ashamed in you and Leiko, Hotashi. You're father and his father before were not this selfish on any kind of subject. I blame it on your Mother and everything that's inside of you."

"Shut it, old man!" Hotashi snarled, blood trailing off of his fangs and dripping to the ground. "What would you know? You didn't appoint me nor Haruko as the next line for Emperor. You chose HER!" He pointed with the tip of his sword at Amaya. "A foolish move, I must consider, Isao InuTakeshi."

"Most not, boy." Isao countered back in a fake-surprised voice. "I chose my youngest grandchild, for she has earned it not by our connection of blood, but by her ability to assist, care, nurture, and protect the innocent. She could've been a fabulous Lady of the Southern Lands, however I know Haruko has earned his title far easier than you will ever achieve as Emperor, Hotashi." Isao turned to Amaya and smiled. Reaching around with his free hand, he pulled the scabbard sword from his belt and handed it to her. "I've waited too long, Amaya. Sorry that you had to go through everything up till now."

She took it from his grasp and pulled the sword out from it holder, gasping at the sight of hand woven leather symbol on the handle. It stood for bravery, while the steel part of it had beautiful gems of sapphire, amber, ruby, and emerald embedded into it. Swirls were etched around each and every jewel, giving it even more beauty and the appearance of power. "Papa...this is an Emperor Sword," Amaya said, looking back up at the handsome inuyokai. "This is your sword?"

"I've lived longer than I have cared to think of, Amaya dear. A new sword has been passed down from Emperor to Emperor for several millennia. I earned it the way you have earned it now." Isao stated.

Hotashi shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "No…NO! That sword shall be mine!" He charged again, but had very little time to do anything after what happened next.

The wolf demon bounced off of Isao's barrier and landed off-balance on his feet. When he looked up, he saw Amaya had the sword in front of her form. The wind suddenly picked up and started moving into Amaya's direction. Jewels brightly glittering, the sword glowed a bright blue hue, static and flames bursting out of it like leaking energy. "Impossible…" He breathed.

"Hotashi Narakura," Amaya growled calmly "I hereby deem you disowned from the Southern Lands and this world of ruler-ship. You have brought upon your death here and now. Goodbye…Father," The wind kept picking up, until Amaya's hair thrashed violently in the air. Lifting her sword up and to the right, she clutched it tighter, her eyes glowing a rich amber.

_**"Lightning Inferno!"**_

The sword, with her thrust, sent bolts circling a huge blue flamed blast, making everything around it sizzle and spark with energy. Hotashi let out a scream of pain, but nothing could be heard over the roar and blast of the energy. Amaya forced herself, through squinted eyes over the light, to watch her father get torn into nothing; piece by piece, flesh of muscle and skin; his whole body was destroyed by the purified energy.

When the light disappeared, Amaya blinked several times to the sudden difference in her vision. Once her eyes were better, she saw that a dark spot had replaced where Hotashi's form had been, steam sizzling off the embers in it. The only thing that remained was the sword of Hotashi, burnt and maybe well destroyed for anymore use.

It was over; her nightmare was finally over. She had killed her father.

Amaya knew she should've felt happy, ecstatic, jumping up and down with joy and freedom. But, instead, she sagged to her knees, digging the Emperor Sword into the dirt. She felt empty…cold, her lifelong fire of revenge and pain now a simple ember like the ones in the darkened dirt. Amaya had been growing stronger and stronger, hoping for the day that she would and could defeat Hotashi for everything he had done to her and to her life.

_'But why do I feel so uncertain and confused now?'_ She thought. Her body felt weak from the sudden drainage of power, her head light and dizzying.

"I should've told you before," Isao bent down and placed a hand on her un-injured shoulder "every first beginner of the Emperor Sword hold losses more energy than they would like to think. I was the exact same with my first big battle, dear." He threw in a humored chuckle for fun.

Amaya joined in, looking up at him then Kagome. "Well, I can allow that, I guess. But…what do I do now? Where does my journey take me now, Papa?" She asked, her voice shaky with growing fear.

"Do not be afraid, Amaya. Your path has had many curves and dead ends in life. We all have it one way or another," Isao said, moving his hand till it landed under her bosom; right where her heart beats. "But I know, we all know, that we can get back up and walk another path of choices by our decision," He paused again, helping her up with his big arms. "My time as Old Emperor may be different now, but I have many things to see. All this time, I've been hiding from the possible chance of being killed, not facing up to those threats. When I could've been with you and teaching you, Amaya, you continued to walk not alone, but with friends and loved ones in your heart and mind. And for that, I'm so proud of you."

"So what does this mean, Mr. Isao, sir?" Kagome pitched in. "Amaya has to take in all of the duties of being the new Empress that you're leaving her? That doesn't seem nice nor considerate now that a war has been won thanks to her."

"Priestess Kagome, I understand your worry and disgruntled confusion. But I'm not leaving her with everything. I'm still Emperor until she deems me to step down and chose another person for the stand," Isao explained calmly to them both. "Your decision is your partial word, darling. What shall it be?"

Before she could answer his question, she screamed out, "Kagome!" A poison green whip lashed out from the bushes, nearly killing Amaya as she grabbed it with one hand after she jumped in front of her friend. The acid hissed loudly, sinking into her skin while she held it in her grasp. Throwing it to the side, Amaya watched the poison whip as it recoiled to its owner.

"Sesshomaru…" She said breathlessly.

**AND~ STOPPING THERE! I will be uploading tomorrow instead of a day and half later! R&R please! I want to know what ya'll thought of the war. Yes, it may've sounded short, but I'll forwarn you now, it was almost 6 hours long (Seems longer if you're in the battle itself). UNTIL NEXT TIME!**


	29. A Breath of New Life

_**Previous:**_

"_Priestess Kagome, I understand your worry and disgruntled confusion. But I'm not leaving her with everything. I'm still Emperor until she deems me to step down and chose another person for the stand," Isao explained calmly to them both. "Your decision is your partial word, darling. What shall it be?"_

_ Before she could answer his question, she screamed out, "Kagome!" A poison green whip lashed out from the bushes, nearly killing Amaya as she grabbed it with one hand after she jumped in front of her friend. The acid hissed loudly, sinking into her skin while she held it in her grasp. Throwing it to the side, Amaya watched the poison whip as it recoiled to its owner. _

_ "Sesshomaru…" She said breathlessly._

* * *

Sesshomaru stepped out from the wooded area into the clearing, his eyes deep red with rage. Despite the very danger of him being her, Amaya felt her heart flutter with love and relief. "Sesshomaru…it's me, Amaya…"

"Cease your babbling, shadow." He snarled coldly. "Why should I trust your words when I do not trust yourself?"

Whatever Amaya felt seconds before shattered when she heard those cold words. _'I can't lose him. Not again. I'm on my own here.'_ She thought. Noticing Kagome bracing herself to grab her bow and arrows and Isao still clutching his own sword, Amaya held up a hand to them. "No. I'm doing this myself, guys. If he kills me, do not be ashamed of him. It would be too much. Please." She half-pleaded.

Isao didn't move from his spot, but he did nod in acceptance of her choice. Kagome, after a moment, also nodded to her, releasing her grip on her bow.

Amaya faced Sesshomaru again, feeling his cold gaze weight down on her heavily. The Emperor Sword was still in her hands, the jewels lightly glittering with energy again. _'I may have to fight him,' _She thought nervously. But she shook her head in disagreement. _'No. If I die, at least I can tell him that I love him without any more pain coming my way.'_

She loosened her grip on the sword, staring at him the whole time as it fell to the ground, making a soft thudding noise. Sesshomaru broke his gaze on her and stared, his eyes slowly widening at what she did. "Why? Surely you would kill me. Or is this some kind of trick again, after you placed that spell on me, shadow?"

The demoness shook her head slowly, throwing out her arms in a state of vulnerability. "You can kill me, Sesshomaru. But even after you do so, my feelings will never waver for who I've fallen for all those months ago. I've become even stronger because of your words and your support in the past. So go on, kill me and be satisfied with my death." She declared out loud, glaring at the demon lord with plead in her eyes.

Sesshomaru was silent for many minutes, just looking her over in hopes that she was lying. But Amaya meant every word she said. She couldn't lie so easily, she never could. Then he started walking closer, his Bakusaiga still out and ready to slash her into pieces. He stopped just a foot from her, his melted amber soles burning a spot in her forehead. "You lie."

"I do not, and even if I did so, Sessho," She paused, looking away. A blush had appeared on her cheeks and over her nose. "I cannot bear to hold back the fact I've fallen heavy for you, Lord Sesshomaru. I…I love you."

Amaya suddenly braced herself for death of his Bakusaiga slicing and dicing her body into the ground.

When it never came, she peeked open an eye to see him shaking slightly, his face rendering away any cold expression. What replaced it was the features of an unknown emotion. _'What's wrong with—' _Her thought of mind trailed off when he, too, dropped his sword, before grabbing her arms and crushing Amaya against his chest. She gasped involuntarily, sucking in all of his delicious scent in one gulp, feeling relief flood through her just as quickly. His arms were around her neck and shoulders, but his whole body was shaking in light vibrations. Then she felt something wet and warm sink into her left shoulder.

Sesshomaru was…crying.

"Sess…Sessho?" She gulped, afraid that she would anger him again. But her only response was the tighten grip around her. It made her reach around and loop her arms around his waist. "Shh…it's okay, my love, I'm here. I'm here for good." She whispered softly against his chest. He pulled away, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. She reached up and wiped away one that trailed down his cheek. Never in her life would she had believed seeing the man of her life crying. _'He's in pain, as am I.'_ Amaya thought.

"Amaya, you came back. I can sense you finally through the darkness." He said while slowly regaining his composure. She giggled softly at how his ego always got in the way when he started becoming cute and innocent.

Sesshomaru dipped down, placing both hands on her cheeks and kissed her lips affectionately. Amaya melted into him even more, sighing as he kissed her so lovingly, so protectively, it made her skin crawl. When he pulled away to give her air, she quickly reached around his neck and kissed him again, placing all of her love into that one kiss. "I love you, my Amaya; I want you to know that." He breathed into her ear.

She chuckled. "I know. I know." She said simply, nuzzling into his neck. But then she realized that they had company. Blushing madly, she slowly pulled away, clearing her throat and facing Kagome and Isao, only to see them grinning smugly. Growling, she pointed a sharp claw at them. "You tell, you both die."

Kagome laughed. "Tell what?" She replied innocently. Amaya scoffed at her action, but her expression turned to that of stress. Her miko friend noticed it. "Are you worried about something, Amaya?"

The cougar demoness sighed, then nodded. "Yes, so much has gone wrong that needs to be fixed before more unnecessary things happen. First, I need to go and find Haruko and try—"As if on cue, Haruko broke through and landed next to her, startling her. He looked distraught like had seen someone important die. "Haruko! What's wrong? Did we win the battle out there?" She asked.

He nodded stiffly, but his expression didn't change. In fact, it only grew worse. "Hai, we won the war, sister. But…" His words trailed off, leaving him in silence.

"But what, brother? Who…who's dead?" She forced out.

Haruko's shoulders sagged farther down. "Many soldiers from the Southern Lands and Eastern Lands have been killed. Many more are injured from the Northern Lands, The Western Lands have suffered many killed and injured. They are being taken to the Grand Ball for recovery. We may lose more thanks to unable arrival of each land's best healers. We've sent our fittest and quickest warriors to give word and bring them here, however it could even a day and a half just to arrive. By that time, we may lose more than we need to. Lady Azumi was severely injured with Lord Kouga but both are already recovering faster than our men. Aneko is watching over everyone with Lord Tadao on sharp eyes " He stated, running a hand through his unruly hair.

Amaya switched into her motherly mode. "I understand, brother, but now isn't the time to simply give up. I need you to stay with Aneko and Tadao while me, Kagome, and Papa search for herbs. Sesshomaru, though we just reunited, I need you to go to the Southern Palace and…obtain my siblings and their servants. They have been through war the most, so our servants are always use to things like this. You must hurry. It is more than likely that we'll be helping soldiers throughout the night."

"Consider it done, my love." He said, kissing her on the cheek one more time. "Be careful."

"Same to you Sesshomaru. Good luck." She whispered, watching his form engulf in a orb and soar into the air.

Haruko ran back to Aneko, but not before he gave a firm 'hello' nod to his grandfather. Though he didn't show it, Isao was glad his grandson was doing well and he missed him deeply. Amaya changed back into her cougar form, but she suddenly sagged to her uninjured leg. Her shoulder had stopped bleeding just as Sesshomaru had attacked her, but she was still injured nonetheless. Kagome kneeled down next to her and scratched behind her head. "Go back, Amaya. We'll do our things here for the night. You grab some rest. Plus, they need something to feed by now." She ordered.

Amaya wanted to protest so badly, to run out beside Haruko and check up on everyone, but she felt too weak, too tired. "I feel stupid leaving you guys and lying to Sessho."

"You aren't stupid. I'll hold onto the sword until you come back, dear. Now go." Isao spoke up, already walking in the direction he could smell herbs. Amaya chuckled humorlessly before she, too, was engulf in her own orb and disappeared from their sight.

The war may have been won, but their hopes would not be risen with the slow deaths of many soldiers. Kagome and Isao had gathered much of the herbs and forest leaves to create the medicine necessary for cases of infection, fever, cold, shivers, salve, extreme blood loss, and potential lung infections. They started helping soldiers inside the Grand Ball Palace right away, going from person to person, getting their diagnosis before using medicine on them. Kagome, on the occasions she was fit enough to do so, she would use her miko powers to heal the most severely injured and mend limbs back into place. She continued pushing herself until Isao himself had to step in and stop her from killing herself of exhaustion. Afterwards, she used herbs and medicine as a replacement of her powers.

Sesshomaru had gone to the limit on his orders by Amaya to grab her and Harukos' siblings. He would admit though, they were not in the least surprise that their father was killed by Amaya. Somehow, he could tell that they had alternated their personalities from other times he had met them, when he was younger. But then they told him that their second eldest, Chou, was killed by Hotashi when rumor had spread around that Chou was going to warn the other Lands of his plans. The other three—Kotone, Masaru and Yuuto— were forced to remain silent about the whole thing.

He and the three siblings had gathered practically all of their servants before transporting back to the Grand Ball Palace. There, the three siblings had even helped out with the servants, doing the same things as Kagome and Isao. Sesshomaru and a few soldiers that could still fight would scout the area of any intruding shadows or other predators.

Aneko helped out with Haruko, and it appeared—to many—that the prince and princess of different lands were growing exponentially close. Kagome grew to becoming a friend with Aneko, proud that the phoenix demoness had befriended Amaya when Kagome wasn't there. And from the way Aneko was describing Amaya to her, it appeared that Amaya has a follower.

Speaking of Amaya, Kagome had surprisingly watched the day after Amaya sniffing each soldier for any hidden sickness. Here and there, she would run around to obtain medicine bottles to heal the ones she did detect as sick. Kagome tried to help her out, but the demoness firmly ordered her to stand down and recuperate her body. She even did the same for Sesshomaru, who had been scouting for almost two full days. Both of them obeyed her and went upstairs to sleep. Many of the other servants, who had honorably worked very hard, were also sent away for rest by her. Even Haruko and Aneko were told, as well as Lady Azumi, Lord Kouga, and Lord Tadao.

The old Amaya of generosity was back and wasn't going down with excuses from any of them.

Many hours had passed, the sun that had once risen up high in the sky, now started falling behind the distance hills and mountains of the Lands. As Amaya finished up checking on another three patients, she sensed someone behind her. Their aura was tainted with ignorance and rough lines of life; but it was whom she remembered long ago. "Hello Masaru." She sighed in slight annoyance. Turning her head, she looked up at Prince Masaru, who's gray kimono and brown hamaka were covered in blood and medicine juice. He looked just as tired as she, but Amaya always knew her middle sibling had the determination of a bull demon. "Is there something you need? Salve for bandages?" She asked calmly. Inside her head, she was bracing herself for critical comments about her life or harsh disowning words that made her flinch.

But instead, Masaru just nodded. "Changing of bandages for quite a few badly injured men over there," He pointed over to the right. Amaya could tell by the smell of fresh blood that he was right.

Nodding, she silently gathered thick bandages and walked over to the injured men. She gave half to her brother, before kneeling down and replacing the soaked through ones. With one hand on a man's stomach wounds, Amaya inhaled slowly and mended her powers into growing back the skin and muscle tissue slowly. It was long and hard to maintain, but suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and more energy flowing through her. She looked up to see Masaru's eyes glowing a faint yellow. Amaya faced her patient again and saw that the skin had almost completely stitched back together, little blood trickling out from the still open wound. She pulled away, as did Masaru's hand, and wrapped the salved bandaged over his wound firm enough to stay on but not too much so that it would pain him more than what he already was feeling.

Amaya shook the weariness from her eyes and brought more power to her hands as she did the same thing for nearly ten more patients. On the eleventh person, she could barely keep her eyes open, so she went back to stitching up with a needle and string.

She finally stopped after finishing forty more patients. Her head throbbed and her body was screaming for rest. If she thought over correctly, she had helped well over a hundred and sixty patients, thanks to her high stamina and motherly concern for the health of others.

_'With things going good so far, many of the soldiers will be fully healed by either this late evening or tomorrow morning.'_ Amaya thought.

"I'm sorry."

Amaya whirled around on her brother, raising an eyebrow at his sudden speaking. She had always considered Masaru the "quiet" sibling. She narrowed her eyes accusingly. "If it's about all those years before and the abuses, Masaru, forget it. Besides, the only thing I'm truly disappointed in was the fact that…I couldn't be a better sister to you guys. So I'm sorry on that." She said tiredly.

Masaru looked at her flabbergasted, but a smile quickly replaced his confusion. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "I forgive you too, I guess." He said, leaning down till his breath was in her ear. "The others are too scared to admit, so be happy that I came and said it, Amaya."

She held in the blush rising up in her cheeks and nodded in response. Ducking under and away from him, she bowed to him. "I appreciate your words, brother. If you'll excuse me, I'm heading out, once I go and retrieve Sesshomaru that is. I'll be back by tomorrow morning." She said, strolling out of the ballroom and trotted up the stairs. She could hear the slow breathing of exhausted servants, Aneko, Haruko, Lord Tadao and Lady Azumi, giving her a sense of satisfaction. Everyone had worked so hard to heal their men that served bravely for their Lords and Lady. She knew that by heart.

Amaya stopped in front of her lover's door, reaching out and turning the knob gently and quietly so she didn't disturb him nor the others. But that didn't seem to be the case on Sesshomaru, for she gasped upon seeing the dog demon sitting on his bed, his chest bare with his kimono open. He looked up at her and smirked. "What's wrong, Amaya? Does this Sesshomaru have a cat's tongue stuck?"

She mocked a laugh. "In your dreams, Sessho." She countered. Amaya quickly sobered up and looked at him sternly. "I've come to show you something. But it isn't here. Will you follow me?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, but got up, tying his kimono back in place. He reached for his swords, but thought against it and left them. "Where to, Amaya?" He asked calmly.

Smiling, she got closer till her hands were on his chest, fingers spread out. Then she closed her eyes just as her markings started glowing lightly. "I'll show you." She whispered. She felt Sesshomaru grab both of her hands, his scent coating her. An orb circled around them, but disappeared in a matter of seconds.

When she opened her eyes again, the orb had landed them in the same forest she had walked to before. Letting go of him, Amaya transformed into her cougar form, eagerly bounding off from Sesshomaru. She smiled, sensing him abruptly beside her as she swerved around trees and under bushes until she stopped at the fallen tree.

"Why have you brought this Sesshomaru here, Amaya? It's only a fallen tree several centuries old." Sesshomaru commented rather bluntly. She chortled at this.

"It will never be just any tree, my love. It is much more than that," She paused, a proud smile spreading over her face.

That's when Sesshomaru heard small but lively squeaks and chirps coming from underneath the tree. He watched her walked over to a large hole before dipping into it. The hole was large enough for even his body to fit under after squeezing rather uncomfortably into it. Sesshomaru brushed off leaves and moss when he realized that the squeaks and chirping noises were much louder now. He spotted Amaya, but his attention quickly dove towards the three bodies nestled against her stomach, sucking greedily on her teats.

"Amaya…how…who are those?" He stammered, an uncommon action even for him to do.

Amaya bowed her head to lick one of her cubs, who was long haired and silver brown tom. He squeaked in protest but quieted down to purring at the smell of his mother. "They are yours and mine, Sesshomaru." She said, her ears dropping down in worry when she noticed the confusion and demand for an explanation features rush over her lover's face. With a intake of breath, Amaya started slowly, "Sessho, my two cubs are the twins you lost with Leiko. The reason for that is because, when she changed bodies with me, she hadn't realized that with it came consiquences. Unless I was dead and gone from this world, she couldn't conceive the pups in the new form. The body wasn't adjusted to her, therefore resulting in either stillborn cubs, miscarriage, or severe birth defects of the children, which would've been extremely painful before they would, sadly, perish within a few weeks of living.

"My sons were born in their humanoid forms and died, but were given a second chance by allowing to live in their demon forms," She gestured to the two cubs, the long haired silver brown tom and one that looked completely identical to her. "It is a procedure that can only be done by the original person's powers. Sesshomaru, I didn't know that I was conceiving our cubs during my journey to warn you until just a few days ago. They shouldn't have gone through death so early in life, but they came back because I am their real mother and I gave them another chance. Plus, they have another sibling with them."

Amaya lifted her tail a little to reveal more of the last form in front of her stomach. It was black and had fluffy curly hair just like Sesshomaru's demonic form. The cougar mother grabbed the little puppy carefully and placed it in front of Sesshomaru's legs. "Meet your daughter, Sessho. _Our_ daughter."

Sesshomaru picked up his daughter and witnessed her bleakly open her eyes, revealing one mahogany and one amber eye, each having the opposite color swirling in the middle. He couldn't help but smile at his newborn daughter. "Hello, sweetheart." He whispered, bringing her till she nestled into his own chest. "You're strong, just like your mother."

"But stubborn than a mule like her father." Amaya chuckled. She loved the way how Sesshomaru dropped his mask and actually showed his true self again; kind, caring, and willing to protect. "What will you name her, love? She seems to like you best."

"Hmm…" Sesshomaru pulled his daughter away, causing her to yip and squeal in protest. Then he smirked. "Kaida."

" 'Little dragon'? Mmm…I think it suits her well." Amaya nodded in approval. She looked down at their two sons. "I'll call the silver one Zeroun, and the other one Toshi."

"Strong and beautiful names, my Amaya. I love them." He said proudly, leaning down to kiss her head, making her purr grow even more. However, it drifted away and seriousness spread over her face, catching Sesshomaru off guard. "What is it, Amaya?"

"I need you to understand one more thing about our two sons, Sessho," She began slowly, grief stricken so sudden that it threw him off for many seconds. "With the second chance of living, they have lost their ability to change into humanoid demons. They will not be able to take the throne as the next Lords because of this, only Kaida would be allegeable to take the throne as Lady." She paused, gulping down a lump in her throat. "Does this upset you and anger you of their disability? Because if it does, I cannot stay with you. It would pain me too much to see my children ashamed by their father because—"

"Amaya," Sesshomaru interrupted her, placing his free hand on her hand to comfort her more. "They are our sons, and I do not mind a simple disadvantage to them. They are who they are, and that's all that matters to me. And to you, I know. They will always be worthy, no matter what. We'll get through this together, I promise."

Amaya felt an immense weight lift off her shoulders. She leaned into him. "Thank you!" She sighed happily. Through the tough times, she was given her one true and accomplished goal; a family of her own for good.

**And that's the end! Just kidding! We stil have two or three more chapters to go. And I think I know that some of you know what's going to happen next… -bells ringing in the background- l) until next time R&R please! **


	30. My Endless Love

**Just to inform you all about the dresses in this chapter, you'll need to go to my username file and copy/paste it in order to see what they look like. I kinda suck describing dresses but this was a first time on it! I love the dresses and I hope ya'll do too l) I know I'll be a bit descriptive with the dresses, but I want you all to feel like you're in the story, so sometimes giving off good details comes in handy.**

**Just to tell you guys (so I don't get sued or something) I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE DRESSES! THEY'RE MEERELY PICTURES I FOUND.**

**With that said, here's Chapter 30~!**

"Will you please stop moving, Lady Aneko?! You'll rip the kimono dress if you continue to worry over the simplest nonsense like whether or not the day will be bright and sunny!" Chie scowled harshly, making most of the servants under her rank wincing. The older and just as experienced chuckled, helping her hold the bride-to-be in place firmer. Yoshi assisted by patting Aneko's hand in comfort.

"Have no worries, Lady Aneko. I'm positive Lord Haruko will love you in any dress you wear. You're always a beautiful demoness to any kind of eyes." She said, smiling optimistically. That seemed to calm the phoenix enough for Chie to adjust the last wrinkle into place, nodding on her success.

"There, done. You can now look at the mirror, my Lady." The demoness servant announced.

Aneko reluctantly turned towards the mirrors and let out a half-squeal half-gasp from her throat. Looking straight back at her was a person she couldn't recognize at first. Aneko gazed over every detail in the mirror. Reflecting back was a wonderfully custom-made pale pink and white kimono wedding dress. The pink parts lined out the sleeves of the kimono and shaded off from the white going down till it reached the end of the dress, growing darker to a paler version of lavender pink. Her obi was the same color, but had a white stripe going around in the middle. To top the dress off, the servants had thrown a very thin, see-through silk with white, purple, and pink flowers with small leaves etched in like vines on a tree.

The beauty intensified when Aneko saw the upper part of her hair was braided up into a bun, while the lower section flowed down till it reached her mid-back before curling at the ends. No makeup was placed on, just like she asked. Her wedding veil was draped over her face, being tied up firm just above her braid.

"Ladies…I'm…I'm…Oh Kami, it's so wonderful!" Aneko finally breathed out a full sentence, whirling around and hugging hers and Amaya's servants one by one carefully. "Thank you so much! You made me look so wonderful. Thank you, thank you!" She said happily, tears flowing out of her eyes.

"I'm very glad that you like it, Aneko."

The phoenix turned around and, if even possible, she was even more awestruck. "Amaya?! Is that really you?! You look so…so…"

Amaya held up a hand, smirking. "I don't want to hear it. I get enough from my daughters and sons already, saying that 'Mama looks so majestic and beautiful'." This made everyone in the room laugh.

What had surprised Aneko of Amaya was the crystal white halter dress that she wore, and which flowed down to the ground, the ends just touching gingerly against the wood. It appeared more of an English dress, but that wasn't the entire case, considering Amaya had request kindly of Chie to make it with straps. That nearly sent all of the servants running for the hills, for they had never heard of such a request. But Chie boldly did so, knowing that Amaya was different among other demonesses—including Aneko—when it came to dress designs. The dress, at the end, was sown with rich purple and reddish hibiscuses—Amaya's favorite and exotic flower species—while adding a final touch of an obi shaded with deep red and pale pink coloring and flowers of the same. Chie, to try out more on the dress, gave Amaya a simple, short-sleeved organza jacket, matching her wedding dress whiteness. Amaya finished everything up with her hair curled back in a French braid with her veil clipped under it. Some servants commented that she is just as beautiful—maybe even more—as her Mother when she had been wedded to Hotashi.

Amaya sighed at the thinking of her deceased father. Almost five months had passed since that dreadful day. Even through all the healing that she and many of her companions had done for the soldiers, they still had lost seventy more after two more days, adding up with the total deaths of 4,362 soldiers that fought against Hotashi, including his own people. A week afterwards, Amaya and Haruko had attended the hearing of all the deceased soldiers, while later assisted with Aneko and Azumi in burning the corpses into ashes. However, not all was sadden by this; upon burying the ashes of the fallen, Amaya witnessed with many others the birthing of several rare flowers into one slowly growing flower bed. A safe and content wish had been served upon their fellow men.

A month later Amaya and Sesshomaru announced to everyone her successful "miracle" with the kittening of her three new cubs. It was rather humorous to see Kaida flinch and run away from Aneko and Haruko's sons when they tried playing with her. On the other hand, her two sons chased with Kei'chi and Katsu, while Mayu and Kaida slept peacefully on the sidelines.

It was at that time that Sesshomaru had asked Amaya's hand in marriage officially. She laughed and kissed him, replying slyly, "I thought we were already there, Sessho." Aneko and Haruko had announced their proposal a few weeks after theirs, which got Amaya's Papa and Azumi going on cramming in two weddings into one. Both girls thought it was absurd, not hearing of anything like it before; but Azumi convinced them it was wise enough, considering Amaya was supposed to be crowned as Empress and should've chosen and crowned an Emperor by now. So this night was not only hers and Aneko's wedding, it was much more for her and for others as well.

Amaya walked over and clasped both her clawed hands over Aneko's, bowing slightly. "I told them that you would like it. It took me days to think of the perfect gown for my best friend. Good thing I'm your Maid of Honor."

"Same goes for me, girl! But it was Chie who actually picked the dress design before starting up with it. She and Yoshi dedicated the same for Azumi two months ago for Mother and Father on their wedding." Aneko chuckled.

Amaya held back her tears of the memory. That wedding was the first one she had been to, and it nearly broke her ego and boldness, seeing her best servant of the Southern Lands, being crowned Lord of the Eastern Lands while—at the same time—rejoicing upon his officially wedded wife, Azumi. Their dancing was even more beautiful than she could ever wish for. Seeing her fatherly friend happy was one of the best things a girl like her could wish for.

"Amaya, dear, it's time." Amaya turned to see her grandfather standing proudly where she had been, all dressed up for the night. His kimono was pure white with black on the end of his long sleeves and the end flank. He wore black hakama and his traditional boots. The only real difference on his handsome appearance was his armor and swords were dispatched and probably stored somewhere hidden for the night. Isao had his long black hair tied up into a topknot, with the longer bangs flowing down his back. Thanks to this, Isao's facial markings-one black stripe on each cheek and a blue gem-like orb on his forehead—stood out more. For a split second, Amaya thought of him looking almost like InuTaisho.

_'Brothers tied not by blood but friendship.'_ She thought with a smile.

"Amaya?" Isao spoke again, seeing that his granddaughter was off in another world. She shook her head and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Papa. I'm…" Suddenly, her throat went dry, her words lodged in her brain.

Isao took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I understand, honey. I know." Was all he said, but him speaking gave her confidence again. Amaya looked at Aneko, nodding in unison with her. Just in time, Tadao walked in, wearing the identical outfit as Isao. What they wore symbolized as parental protection and guidance to their daughters; as well as letting go and watching them grow up into the women they so desperately became.

Isao and Tadao maneuvered so that their arms were gestured for their girls. Aneko and Amaya wrapped theirs around them and allowed the gentlemen to walk them across and down the hallway. While they did so, Isao leaned in and whispered into Amaya's ear, "My darling, you've transformed into a better Lady than the Kamis could've interpreted."  
Amaya blushed shyly. "Thank you, Papa. And you don't look so half-way decent yourself. Maybe you should have another woman for your courteous love." She half-teased.

Isao chuckled quietly. "Maybe. But, for now, I'm okay being a bachelor as Haruko calls it. Sometime in the near future, though, maybe I'll truly find another love like Suzu." He said, his features glazing over with a quick sadness before perking up. After all, it was his granddaughter's wedding. "Your Mother and Nana would be so proud of you in all of your decisions, Amaya. As am I." He announced.

"Thank you, Papa. And I know she is. I know she is…" She trailed off, the thought of her Mother being bringing an ache to her heart. After Haruko had been announced by Isao as Lord of the Southern Lands, he and Amaya had gone to their mother's grave, giving her their most mournful prayers and hoping that the afterlife is great for her and that she would wait for them.

She broke out of her thoughts when they stopped in front of the Grand Ballroom doors. Isao had promised her that the room was well over large enough for their ceremonies tonight. Amaya took a deep breath in and relaxed as the doors opened out, shining in light of the many chandeliers hanging from up above.

Amaya looked to see Sesshomaru standing beside the minister, surprising her by not wearing his usual kimono. Instead, he had chosen a handsome silver blue kimono with gold dragons designed richly into the fabric, dark blue hakama, and traded in his boots for white socks and sandals. It was something new for him and her, but it made Amaya shiver with happiness nonetheless.

On his left stood the bridesmaids they'd chosen for both ceremonies; Rin was first with her purple and pink flowered kimono, Mayu stood next in a beautiful dark red and purple butterfly kimono, and Amaya's sister, Kotone, was happily towering them both in a golden red kimono with rich brown and black flower pattern. They looked perfect all together, and Amaya mentally thanked Chie and Kotone for their hard working of the wedding.

On the other side of the minister was Haruko, who had on a navy blue kimono with red, orange, and white koi fish splashing on it, and black hakama on. Unlike Sesshomaru, he had on boots this time. To his right were the best men; Masaru and Yuuto were both dressed up in almost identical blue and gray kimonos with black hakama, Hayato stood proudly in a purple kimono with stars glittering up the sleeves and lower section till they faded off into the purple as well as wearing black hakama. Like the girls, it was a perfect match on every scale.

Amaya and Aneko winked at each other when their soon-to-be husbands turned to look at them and both had on awestruck look on their faces; then again, so did most of the guests invited. When they reached the end of the aisle, Amaya and Aneko went separate directions, both clasping their lovers' hands and smiling. The whole room grew quiet and the minister spoke up finally;

"Greetings everyone. We are gathered here today for the wedding of Princess Amaya of the Southern Lands and Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, as well as Prince Haruko of the Southern Lands and Princess Aneko of the Eastern Lands. It is a true honor to wed two loving couples together. Let us begin," He turned nodded over to Rin and Hayato, who walked up and held the ring pillows in the middle, Hayato being at Amaya and Sesshomaru, while Rin was at Haruko and Aneko. The minister advised Sesshomaru and Haruko to take their brides' rings and place them at the tip of their ring fingers. "Lord Sesshomaru. Prince Haruko. Please repeat after me the vows." He instructed.

"This woman I marry…No matter what the health situation is…I will love this person…Respect this person…Console this person…Help this person…Until death… Protecting fidelity…I swear…"

Amaya felt her heart beat faster with every line her lover said to her. She couldn't help but smile when his eyes shined with happiness when he placed her beautiful sapphire and purple ring on her finger. Then she took his ring, placing it at his fingertip, and the minister spoke up for her. "Princess Amaya. Princess Aneko. Please repeat after me the vows."

"This man I marry…No matter what the health situation is…I will love this person…Respect this person…Console this person…Help this person…Until death… Protecting fidelity…I swear…" With that, she slid his ring on securely. Amaya giggled quietly when his hands wrapped more around hers.

The minister announced to the men, "Lord Sesshomaru. Prince Haruko. You this woman marry and become her partner. Will you in peaceful times, during sickness, this person love, this person respect, this person comfort, this person help, until death; do you promise to fulfill?" He asked calmly, a smile on his face when he spoke those words.

Both men nodded. "Hai. I promise." They said. Her heart seemed to swell more. Their minister turned to the women now.

"Princess Amaya. Princess Aneko. You this man marry and become his partner. Will you in peaceful times, during sickness, this person love, this person respect, this person comfort, this person help, until death; do you promise to fulfill?"

"Hai. I promise." They said.

"Very well. Therefore, I announce these two wonderful couples husband and wife. With this, Prince Haruko is no more, but now is as Lord Haruko with his Lady Aneko, as is Lord Sesshomaru with his Lady Amaya. You two may kiss your wives now." The minister ended the wedding ceremony, watching Sesshomaru kiss Amaya lovingly, powerfully, and Haruko kiss Aneko affectionately. The crowd stood, clapping and whopping at their kisses. Hayato wrapped his arm around Rin's waist, hugging her close.

Isao grinned as he walked up to Amaya as she pulled away from Sesshomaru, her face blush red while she laughed with him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up. Only when the crowd settled down again did he begin speaking.

"My dear Amaya, I am most sincere about you wedding Sesshomaru. And now, I am here personally to give you something that takes great pride and responsibility, two things I know you have," He pulled his hand back, but held it in the air, fingers spread out. "Do you, Lady Amaya now of the Western Lands, accept the duty to protect and guide these Lands as best as you can? Through all the danger and deaths, cherish and teach the Lords and Ladies of their Kingdoms? Do you accept this?"

Amaya nodded, reaching out till her smaller hand laid on his. She then recited the words she remembered him saying to her long ago, "I do, with my heart and my life. It is what I was born to accomplish." She said calmly.

Isao smiled, his markings growing lighter till they were on the verge of white. "Then by the power of me and the Kami, I hereby announce you, Lady Amaya of the Western Lands, Princess of the Southern, Empress of the Lands." He announced proudly.

The cougar demoness gasped when she felt his power pool through her markings and blood. Amaya winced abruptly at her pain, but it disappeared as fast as it came. She smiled, relishing her forehead feeling warm with love and power. She looked at one of the windows on the side to see her birthmark was no longer a faded out blue color, but now a rich and dark blue orb, round like the moon.

"Thank you, Papa." She bowed respectfully to him. When she straightened out, she smirked. "Now that I'm Empress, I need to declare a few things now. You have served for many millennia for these Lands, Isao, and we are all grateful for it. We do not want to lose such a leader like you because of the things you've done for us. However, I understand that your time as Emperor has come to an end for this era." She said firmly enough so that everyone understood what she was saying. The result was many startled gasps and whispers. Amaya held up a hand, silencing the noise.

"Despite this, I believe you, with your knowledge and experience, can help me and the new Emperor I will soon announce. I announce the new creation of the Ambassador ranks, and you, Papa, are the first to be placed upon this rank. Only one other Ambassador can be chosen, but I have picked her out already. Firstly though," She looked at the crowd, "Lord Tadao, please step up to me."

Tadao looked around for a moment before obeying. He easily towered over her, but she didn't mind at all. Holding out a hand, Amaya nodded to him to do the same. "Tadao, you have served the Southern Kingdom for many years, teaching us all how special you are and your gift of acceptance and forgiving goes beyond description. You've finally reunited with the family you have always told me about and I'm happy for you. Do you, Lord Tadao of the Eastern Lands, accept the duty to protect and guide these Lands with me as a friend, a father, and supporter, as best as you can? Through all the danger and deaths, cherish and teach the Lords and Ladies of their Kingdoms? Do you accept this?"

He looked shocked for many seconds, but he shook his head and smiled at her before bowing. "I do, with my heart and my life. It is what I was born to accomplish." He stated.

Amaya bowed as well, their heads touching lightly. "Then by the power of me, Isao and the Kami, I hereby announce you, Lord Tadao of the Eastern Lands, former Head Servant of the Southern Lands, Emperor of the Lands."

"Thank you, darling. I will help you all I can when doing Emperor duties. But who shall be the second Ambassador, Amaya?" He asked.

She looked at her siblings, who had gathered around one another, and smiled. "Elder Brother Yuuto," She started, walking over to her "I know our relationship has been very rough and unstable, but I know for certain about your loyalty in helping and directing others for the good in life, being Hotashi's best advisor when he was in rule. I believe you would make a fine Ambassador. Do you accept such role?"

Yuuto's blank expression turned into a small smile. "I believe so. And I'll do my best in helping you and Lord Tadao in the Emperor duties."

The crowd clapped louder and cheered higher than prior, happy for the newly crowned demons. It was truly a wonderful time to rejoice and celebrate.

Many a people stayed to attend for food and drinks after congratulations were given to the two newly wedded couples. Kagome had arrived rather late, but Amaya easily understood why. Since Kagome was a mother of one and the only priestess of her village, her hands were pretty full after the war. With the months that had passed after helping with the healing process of soldiers, she had reunited with her mate and husband, Inuyasha, and her daughter, Aki. Thankfully, she and Inuyasha had the time to accept the invitation to the wedding, dressing up in a formal silver green kimono with shooting star designing on it. Inuyasha, ironically enough, kept on his fire rat kimono and hakama, but did place away his sword back at the village.

"Congrats, Amaya!" Kagome laughed, hugging her old guardian. She pulled away and grinned teasingly. "I was starting to wonder when either one of your would pop the question."

Amaya joined in, her face a pretty pale red. "I know. But all is well," She said with a proud smile. Aki poked her head out from behind her father's neck, her pretty amber eyes blinking curiously at her. She smiled and waved to her. "Hello, sweetheart. You must be Aki. Kagome has truly been given a wonderful gift of life with you and Inuyasha."

Aki brightened up and giggled cutely. "Thank you!" She said, before noticing other children playing around with each other. She pulled on Inuyasha's ears roughly, pointing with one hand at them. "Daddy! Can I go play? Please!" she whined slightly.

Inuyasha winced at the power his daughter was placing into her pulling. Finally, she was lifted off of his shoulders and placed on the ground. He rubbed his ears, waving a hand at her. "Just don't get in trouble while you're at it, Aki." He groaned quietly. Aki gasped, hugged his leg quickly and was off playing with the kids before Inuyasha could react to. He shook his head, but had a small smirk on his face. "Silly kids." He muttered under his breath.

Amaya was amazed how much the hanyou had settle down, looking laid back and not so stiff and distrustful towards others. She glanced at Kagome, seeing her smiling like a proud mother of two instead of one. The demoness remembered something. "Where are Sango and Miroku? Are they busy with their children?" She asked.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah. Sango has her hands full with the twins and her son, and Miroku had to go assist Kohaku in a demon attack in a far off village. But do not worry, Miroku was on his way home and is safe. Kohaku too with Kirara. They all wish you a happy life and hope that you'll return for a visit whenever it's possible."

"I'll visit as soon as my lover will let me out of his sight." She said in a somewhat serious matter. She knew what was to come next after the ceremony was over.

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to a hard and very warm chest. "Amaya." Sesshomaru groaned.

_'Speaking of the devil'_ She thought with a shiver.

"I know. I know." She whispered, kissing his nose lightly. She looked back at her friends, noticing that Kagome had a light pink on her face; Inuyasha, well…he didn't look all that thrilled on the sight. Amaya bowed to them. "It's been a pleasure, but I must—" She wasn't able to finish her sentence, because the next thing she knew they were outside. The cougar growled at her lover. "Sesshomaru…" She said slowly, trying to sound angry. Sadly, it came out in a low hiss/moan.

He chuckled deep, making his whole upper body rumble and shake. She glared at him, upset that he knew a weakness spot. Sesshomaru leaned down and bit her ear, causing her to gasp just as light surrounded them and they teleported back to the Western Palace, into his room.

"Sessho—" He sealed her protest with another powerful kiss. It was what she wanted, what they needed all this time. To show each other their love and passion for one another.

She wrapped both arms around his neck, bringing his body impossibly closer, running her hands through his smooth, silky silver hair. Sesshomaru had his on her bottom, though she wasn't protesting. He reached up and took out her veil and braiding, making her short hair cascade down, touching the base of her neck lightly. He ran his hand through her hair, savoring her mewl of pleasure, followed by her content sigh. Don't think he didn't enjoy her caressing of his head, sending indescribable pleasure and love through his system.

"Mine and no one elses…" Sesshomaru said into her ear before taking it into his mouth.

"Damnit you're a fucking tease!" She gasped, maneuvering his head so she kissed him again.

**(Lemon!) **

Their tongues danced a tango together, fighting for dominance of one another. He suddenly bit her lip, making her falter and allowing him to take full control of her senses with lust and love. He kissed her hard enough that her back arched under him, the only things holding her upright were his hands—one on her waist, the other hiking her leg up to wrap around his—and her arms latched on his neck still.

When he finally pulled back for air, Amaya gasped loudly, her whole face red, eyes glazed over with a tinted orange color. Nothing was to be spoken, only actions. He placed her gently on his bed, licking his lips. Amaya sat up and helped him by untying his kimono, throwing if off his body before running her hands up and down his hard tone chest. She used her nails to rake them down, causing him to growl lowly.

"Now who's the tease?" He groaned, bending his head to give her another kiss, this one being a little lighter than the previous. When he pulled away, he also lifted her dress up first her legs then her arms, with Amaya holding them up towards the ceiling. Sesshomaru was surprised to see Amaya holding her breast back with white cloth. He watched her bow her head to avoid him seeing her blush.

"Just a precaution. Besides, I've not been touched like this since Naoki mated me centuries before…" She sighed at the memory. Two of his fingers rested on her chin, making her look up into his golden hues.

"I'll make you feel pleasure that you've missed, maybe even more, my love." With that, with his claws, slashed the cloth into pieces. Amaya gasped, but held down the powerful urge to cover herself up. Instead, she felt cornered in an exciting way under his lusty glare. He reached out and placed one of his big hands on her small bosom, elicting a gasp from her as heat flood over her body.

Sesshomaru fondled her ever so slowly, till Amaya was moaning and thrashing about, going to the point of arching her back for more. "Sessho!" She cried out, tears brimming the edge of her eyes. She arched even higher for him when he latched tightly onto her nipple. Sesshomaru sucked like he was a pup himself, harder and harder till he felt her milk seep out into his milk. He gave into the groan overflowing his throat.

"Sessh…Oh Kami, Sesshomaru please…" She weeped. The dog demon moved to her other one, but licked its tip, causing her to growl and whine in pleasure. "Stop teasing! Please, please Sessho~"

"Please what, my love?" He taunted huskily, maneuvering so that his right hand was rubbing against her clit. The only thing she was capable of doing was nodding frantically at his movements. He accepted that for now and leaned down till he was face to face with her nether lips. Sticking out his tongue he dragged it up and down in a slow motion, moving so that he dodged her clit. Sesshomaru held down her hips, and finally latched onto her clit. He chuckled when her hands gripped his head tighter as his ministrations. A long hard lick quickly sent her over the edge, but he didn't stop there.

Amaya cried out many times as she orgasms countless of times under his torture. When he pulled away, he had a devil's grin on his face, licking his lips like a satisfied cat—no pun intended.

He untied his hakama and dropped them down to the ground, revealing his impressive long, at least, eight inch cock, the tip leaking pre. Amaya blushed, but felt hotter as she stared more and more at it. Curiously, she reached out and touched it, gasping when it pulsed under her touch. She also heard him groan in pleasure.

He pushed her away, kissing her on the lips reassuringly. "There will be another time for that, love. But for now," He pushed her onto her back, spreading her legs wide. "This." With that, he slowly plunged his cock into her pussy.

Amaya cried out at the hot sheath inside of her now, throbbing as her muscles clutched it in her vice-grip. Sesshomaru hissed happily, pulling out till the head was only inside of her before slamming back in hard. He continued this motion for several minutes, till the heated cougar was screaming for more.

"Fuck! Harder, please!" She moaned, bucking her hips to meet his. Sesshomaru growled loud, flipping her onto her hands and knees before slamming back into her, happily humping her with demonic dominance.

Amaya showed her neck as things heated up more and more for the two of them. Both moaned and groaned together, enjoying everything about each other's bodies. Many times, she came hard until her body was nothing but a violent spasm.

Sesshomaru could feel his end coming fast, his balls clenching up hard. His eyes shone red and his fangs enlarged. When his orgasm blazed through his body, he roared loud, not caring if anyone heard him and Amaya, before impaling her in the junction between her neck and shoulder as he came in long ropes into Amaya.

She moaned out her sixth orgasm, loving how the end of his cock swelled up to seal his seed inside of her. Sadly, Amaya could not get pregnant until next year, when her kits and pup would be in their juvenile age. But here was enough.

Both demons sagged down into the bed, Sesshomaru pulling the sheets carefully over their bodies. He leaned over her shoulder and kissed her sweaty forehead. "I love you, Amaya. Never forget that."

"And I you, Sesshomaru. Never forget that." She sighed, snuggling into his warmth. It wasn't long before they were both fast asleep in one another's hold.

**Whew! That was a long chapter to edit! I truly think this is my favorite chapter, because I had to find the ways of how the Japanese do their wedding vows and place them into the chapter. Then again, I've had fun with all of the chapters. l) R&R about the wedding please! The next chapter will be up with this one today!**


	31. Epoliouge: That's Who I Am

**I would like to take a pause to thank each and every one of you guys that read, reviewed and favorite this story. I'm truly enthralled at your love for the story. I've hoped that I've satisfied your taste-buds for an OC story. And I just want to say it would be nice if some of you read my other stories (once I finished updating and post them up to ) It has been an honor writing this and seeing how much people read it.**

**This is the FINAL CHAPTER, the EPOLIOUGE of Night Light Rain! Hope it comforts your curiosity of what happens after Amaya and Sesshomaru get married.**

**With that, I shall shut up and present ya'll with this! Enjoy!**

"MOM~! I'M HOME!" A loud voice echoed behind her back, breaking her concentration from the papers sprawled on the ground around her bare legs. She took off her unnecessary glasses and looked up at the giddy teenager, her sunglasses up in her beautiful brunette hair.

Amaya smiled motherly. "Welcome home, Shiloh. How was horse riding?" She asked the usual question of the day during the beautiful summer seasons. The brunette sat down next to her and leaned against her shoulder comfortably, not that Amaya minded at all.

"It was so wonderful!" She breathed with a dreamy sigh. "Those horses are all so beautiful. I took some pictures if you want to paint them, Mom. Oh! And I almost forgot; Mr. Johnson is hoping for you and Dad to come and try it out either tomorrow or the next day."

Amaya took out a small hand notebook and wrote the information down. "I'll talk to your father once he gets home tonight. He still has to go and pick up your brothers, you know." She said, raising an eyebrow at her daughter. The fifteen year old teenager dramatically rolled her eyes, but held a smile on her face.

"Oh, alright..." She stopped when her ringtone of '_Jungle Love'_ by her favorite band, Steve Miller, came on. She plucked it out of her khaki pants and held it to her ear. Shiloh's face changed from bored to bright happiness. "Hey Jazz! How are you…I'm good thanks. Are you still up for that movie with me?...of course I'm still free, but let me check again," She looked at Amaya, who had looked back at her paperwork. Though it appeared that she wasn't listening, the woman was, and gave a nod in approval.

"She says yes…yep, I told her about your dad's request…they still need a full family agreement but I think Dad's willing to try something new again…yep…yep of course…thanks a ton, Jazz! I'll be over by six once I'm done cookin' up dinner with Dad and Isoba. Yep, you too, bye!" Shiloh looked over at her mother to see a amusing smirk on her face as Amaya checked over the spelling on the paper. Shiloh frowned and placed her hands on her hips. "It's nothing like that, Mom. He already has a girlfriend; Stacey, a junior whose also a cheerleader for our school mascot. And she's not all that nice to me…" She muttered at the end. Too bad it was still loud enough for Amaya's hyper sensitive ears.

"Should I talk to your council—"

"Don't even! Her father's a lawyer and her mother's one of the gym teachers at the school. Besides, she hasn't don't enough harassment to make me change. I know better." Shiloh interrupted. When the air grew silent again, the teenager peered at the papers that seemed so important to the demoness. "You double-checking your work on the next book Mom? You've done so good for such a short time."

"I'm triple-checking. Despite your father and I not being in any big business companies, I take pride in making sure the work looks as efficient as can be before going off to my publisher." Amaya said, marking off another error in her paper. With a sigh, she pulled off her glasses and stretched her arms over her head. "It's stressful at times when he asks me to pick up the pace. That's when I tell him he can shove it." She chuckled.

Shiloh laughed too. "I know you do your best for this family, Mom. I better get going to the farm with Toshi and Zeroun. Tell the boys I say love you when they get here tonight!"

"Don't get in trouble again, Shiloh! That INCLUDES the mudpits!" Amaya shouted to her departing daughter, but it appeared that the teenager didn't really listen. A very high pitched whistle sounded the air, making her ears ring for a second or two. Amaya watched two cougars zoom out from their shading trees and in the direction of Shiloh.

"Bye, Ma!" They chirped on their way over to Shiloh as she got out her bicycle from the garage.

Amaya didn't wave to them, but did give them a smile. She leaned back against the sliding glass door, staring up at the fluffy clouds. But she knew none of them would ever be as soft as Sesshomaru. Her thoughts drifted back to the past years, all before she and her husband had moved to the United States.

A lot of stuff happens over the course of five hundred and fourteen years, including your perspective on life and where you live. Amaya and Sesshomaru lived their luxury on the Western Lands with their children for years. Two years after they had been wedded and officially mated, Hayato and Rin did the same for themselves. Amaya had the honor of being the Maid of Honor and assisted her adopted daughter and son find everything for their wedding. Rin was beautiful at the wedding, as was Hayato being handsome. The wedding had been a success, the two of them confessing their love the same night and going on with their lives later on back in Gin Village. Amaya had visited often, bringing gifts made by her, the servants, or even Sesshomaru. Three years later, Rin had given birth to their first hanyou son, Tetsuya, who portrayed his father's albino heritage with white hair with strands blackening. Seven more years later, they had another hanyou son, Yukia, who stood out more as a mixture between his parents.

Both boys were raised proudly by Hayato and Rin later in the years till they grew up into fine albino cheetah hanyous. From then on, Amaya had rarely heard about what happened in their lives. Hayato and Rin, however, kept in touch up until their deaths. Rin had passed away at the old but content age of 94, dying in her sleep with the simple cold. Hayato never took another mate for several more years, but did adopt two children, a human boy named Yoite and a female ox demon child named Chiho, raising them on his own like Amaya had done with him years prior. Hayato still lives on to this day, living in a house with a new mate and hanyou children.

For the demons' blood related children, life had been fairly successful for them. Toshi and Zeroun stationed themselves together at multiple farms with huge herds of livestock—mainly sheep or goats—that needed controlling. It was an unusual job for demons; especially feline demons such as them. They would stay at a farm for up to 10 years, until they departed and moved on to the next farm. Toshi was more of the leader of the group, guiding herds with his controlling barks and yips. From what Amaya had seen many times and will continue to see, Zeroun was the scout, never really barking or snarling unless it is at a livestock running away from the main herd. Zeroun has proven—like Toshi—that violence is never the real answer to simple solutions such as herding. Decades of countless jobs in herding rewarded both cougar demons with years of knowledge, hidden answers to problem solving, and silent communication between the brothers. When the time had come, Toshi and Zeroun were shipped over sea to the United States many days before the atomic bombs were dropped in Japan. Today, they still do what they love doing, and lived out in the wild together.

Kaida was another matter. She had grown into a fine demoness that would surely ruled the Western Lands in future years when Amaya and Sesshomaru passed the responsibility to her after their deaths. The inuyokai cougar, three hundred years prior, had taken the role as a demoness priestess, a job most unusual for her. She, like her adopted siblings, moved to Gin Village and lived there for the next hundred and thirteen years. She never chose a mate during that time, living a rather lonely life. Amaya and her became much closer than her as "daddy's girl". When World War II reached Japan, Kaida abandoned her duty as priestess reluctantly and moved to the US with her parents. There, she had found her love during the eighties; Ethan Johnson, a man of half Irish, half Dutch that later became a young national best-seller in poetry. He and Kaida currently reside in their content house in the woods of Vermont with their three girls, Rio, Maybelline, and Taylor. Kaida herself now is a "secretly" famous interior and exterior design artist, earning the good life.

Amaya thought more about what had happened to her and Sesshomaru over five hundred and thirteen years. She was still Empress and Lady of the Western Lands, though to many—including several demons—that rank is no longer acceptable in society. The Western Palace stood tall for many years with the two of them in control. Being Empress would've occasionally taken its toll on her whenever bad things occurred in the West. But Sesshomaru stood by her with support and love, and vice versa. However, many years of growing power of Japan started worrying them. Sadly, with a call for a Land Meeting concluded to all of them that the time came where they needed to step down from their ranks in the eyes of the dictators of Japan.

With this, Amaya and Sesshomaru—four hundred and thirty-six years later—left for America, travelling up to Minnesota and finding that the environment was far better than living in the smoggy New York or California areas and not as depressing as Washington state or political annoying and security strict as D.C.

In Minnesota on March 4, 1997, Amaya adopted Shiloh, a 3-month old Ukranian girl, into the family. Later on in the years she revealed to be spontaneous and worthy in trying new stuff when times came, much like Kaida when she and her brothers had been pups/cubs. Now fifteen and growing fast, Shiloh went to high school and had a half-way content life, doing usual girl things with her friends. Amaya had been very proud of Sesshomaru when he accepted a different nation child as his own in adoption. From what Shiloh kept telling her since she was a little girl, the teenager wanted to become a veterinarian and specialize in horses or exotic animals. She held a firm job assisting Toshi and Zeroun at Mr. Johnson's farm.

It made her heart ache and soar at the same time to see her daughter hanging out with boys like Jazz. He was very nice, had a great sense of humor, but was—from what Shiloh has said—far out of her league in ages, despite the fact that they've known each other since sixth grade. Amaya had high hopes, regardless of Sesshomaru's fatherly protection, for Shiloh realizing that Jazz was the one for her.

Amaya sighed and got back to her work on the book soon to be published. As life for her, Amaya had grown an obsession for writing, from poetry, normal novels, and even comic strips later on in life. She portrayed her non-fiction stories in the life she had been through, only twisting things up so that it would leave cliffhangers and start up in the next book, creating series. It wasn't until she moved to Minnesota that she finally went to an honest and clean publisher to edit and send her books out to the shelves. Almost instantly, her book became a national seller, receiving high praises—and a few critics—on her first series. But Amaya realized that she wanted to write as a hobby, not a full time; she knew it was a timely thing and she didn't want to lose her family love because of it. So whenever she had the free time, she wrote and edited her own books, currently having twenty books—ten being in one series—on selves all over the world.

Her actual job was managing her tattoo shop with Sesshomaru. They were widely known in their town and nearby towns of the symbolic tattoos they specialized in. Sesshomaru mainly did the men, and Amaya with girls, but they did their work with a passion that couldn't be described by even the best critics. They've endured pain, anguish, loses of loved ones, and, on few occasions, struggled with taxes and mortgage upkeep. They understood life and death, luxury and poor, all of it.

Amaya honestly didn't know how long she just looked at her work, but she suddenly came to reality when the sky started turning darker blue, merging upon orange and yellow hues. With a growl, she gathered up all her papers, stacking them into a secure folder, and headed inside.

She started up on chicken and pasta, grabbing eggs, garlic, pepper, bread crumbs, a few plates, twelve chicken breasts to thaw, three large bags of curled pasta, and three pans. Everyone in the house mentioned that she had a taste for cooking and should become a chief; she thought otherwise. Within forty five minutes, she had everything cooked up; just as three excited boys jumped through the door with eagerness.

"Hi Mom!" The eldest of the three, Atticus, greeted her with a hug. She hugged the African twelve year old boy back with just as much love. He pulled back and licked his lips vigorously. "Ohh! Chicken and pasta! Awesome!"

"Mom!" Shiloh's whine came from the door. The teenager had a frown etched into her pretty face. "I thought I told you I was cookin' tonight!" She said, hands dramatically on her hips.

Amaya waved her off. "I know, I know. But I was in the mood to cook so don't fret over it…" She paused, seeing her other African son, Isoba, looking around shyly. The seven year old was the most recent of the family, with getting used to things still even after three months of living under the Tashio residence. Amaya walked over and smiled to him, dropping down till her knees were to her chest. She lifted his head with one finger, gazing into his dark brown eyes. "Do you want to help Mommy with dinner, Isoba?"

The little boy nodded silently, but a speck of a smile made his left cheek curve inward into a dimple. Amaya chuckled, tickling the little area and making him squeal and let out a full-out belly laugh. She grabbed him and hoisted him into the air, moving his shirt back so she could blow on his stomach, resulting in everyone laughing. Isoba hugged is still growing arms around her neck, rubbing his little head against hers.

"I love you Mommy!" Isoba said happily before jumping into his brother's awaiting arms.

"Alright, kids, let's get the table ready for dinner." She instructed. Amaya helped everyone out and by the time 5: 44 rolled by, everything was set and ready for the feast. Amaya heard the door open again, turning to see her husband walk in with their five month old cub, cradled in his arms. Sesshomaru had a content smile under his black bangs. She chuckled, taking Zakuro from his grasp and holding her close to her chest. "I see that she had a successful afternoon, no?"

Sesshomaru collapsed gently into a chair, running his free hand through his hair. "Fast asleep in the car, too." He said, joining her in the chuckling. He reached over and tousled his sons' black hair. "I assume you boys are ready for dinner?"

"Yep!" They had their forks up and ready for food. Amaya laughed before, with one expert hand, place down dinner onto the table. When she looked up, she smirked at Sesshomaru letting go of his disguise, returning back to her sexy silver haired demon. She placed Zakuro in her seat just as she started waking up from the scrumptious scents, Sesshomaru doing the same. They all said grace and started eating their meals, complementing their mother how well she had done on dinner. Amaya excused herself from the table and walked outside, wanting a quick quiet moment to herself. She kissed Sesshomaru, reassuring him that she would be back before her food got cold and left.

Amaya made sure she was in the clear before changing into her cougar form. It had been so long, her muscles and bones popped in relief. She sighed happily, enjoying the natural predator body she was born into. Almost fifty years had gone by since she had changed.

She ran into their forest grounds, silent and sleek like she was. Amaya soon reached a little clearing, where sunlight in the day would shine through, a perfect spot for sunbathing.

And for the flower bed she had made.

Everything she had loved, everyone she had admired and loved that didn't live to see her current children resided in this beautiful mixture of colors. The flowers spread out, glittering in the morning with dew while swaying to the breezes in the afternoon. Amaya walked over and sat down in front of one very rare lunar flower, a quick rush of sadness coating her mind for a second. She shook her head and smiled optimistically.

"Hello everyone. I've missed you guys." She started, leaning down to sniff the lunar flower. "Happy birthday Kagome. I remembered that today was your birthday. I wonder how things are up there in heaven. Inuyasha, I'm assured that you and your children are well. Your kin today, Sofia, is doing well from what I've kept records on. She has two handsome girls and one son on the way. Kagome would be so proud of her stubborn determination; something you both have.

"Miroku, your kin today, Roku, is a leech at times, but has the strength of Sango. I'm pleased to tell you two that things are going well for him. As for Kohaku's kin, I do not know where they are, but I'm sure they are happy and content with life.

"Shippo. Kirara. I know you are out there somewhere, but I've placed my love into you and hope you have the life you've wanted in today's world.

"Haruko, you dork. I know you're still living, and I wish you, Aneko, and your kin children well. In a few years we'll have another reunion as usual. I hope you all live well, both in heaven and here on Earth. Sleep well."

She paused at the sight of a big lily flower that towered the rest of the flower bed. She smiled softly.

"Mama…oh Mama I didn't know that I would miss you so. It hurts sometimes, and I wish on some occasions that I had your support. But I know what you did for me when I was a cub was more than I can ever wish for, so thank you. I wish you could see your grandchildren, they've always wondered what you were like. I've drawn pictures of you, from what I can remember you're appearance. But there are times where only showing your real self makes things a whole lot easier…I hope you are happy in heaven, Mama. I love always and I'll give your regards to Papa too." Amaya pulled away from the heavenly scents coating her mind and turned to head back home.

A breeze made the flowers sway in unison. Amaya stopped and tilted her head up towards the rustling trees, taking in the scents. Nothing drew her attention for many seconds, until Amaya detected a rich, sweet smell of lilies; her mother's favorite flowers. Before she could think twice about it, the wind stopped and she heard a low whirl behind her. The cougar demoness turned to see a sight to behold.

To the side of the flower bed stood two proud cougars, a little bigger than her, but definitely female. One was a rich caramel brown with brownish stripe markings—almost that of a tabby cat—on her back, the other one being pure albino with gray markings glowing. Both cougars were transparent but that didn't stop Amaya from smiling brightly.

"Mother! Nana!" She breathed out lightly, then running over to them. She rubbed against her mother, feeling everything; her muscles relax and constrict with movement, her breathing, her love. Amaya purred loudly, nuzzling under Natsumi affectionately, savoring everything that she had missed for over seven centuries. She pulled away, tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh, Mother! It's so good to see you again…I miss you so much…"

"And I you, my little raindrop." Natsumi sighed, smiling as she licked her daughter's nose. "You've grown into the queen and beautiful demoness I had dreamed of seeing one day in my children. I'm proud of you, Haruko, Yuuto, Matsyu and Chou for the decisions you guys have made. It's changed the original fate given to all of you."

"That's right," Suzu walked up next to Amaya, licking her ear. "Everything was to happen, though I do regret watching you all go through so much pain and death. One day, I promise you, Young Amaya, we will all see each other again; together and loved as who we are."

Amaya talked more with her female guardians, telling them everything about her new family; it was humorous to them how she forgot for many moments that they were always watching her from afar.

Finally, Amaya bided both cougars a goodbye, knowing that she would see them another day. As she trotted proudly back home, the night grew darker with light clouds with the full moon and millions of stars twinkling shyly in space behind them. Though she didn't see it, a shooting star flew across the sky for a split second, disappearing in the next.

But she did feel a solid raindrop drop onto her head. It was quickly followed by a light drizzle. She couldn't help but smile to herself again.

_'Night Rain…That's who I am.'_

And a life Amaya happily held in her heart.

**And that is the end of Night Light Rain! R&R please about the ending! And in case people were wondering about the title of the story, yes it is connected to Amaya—literally. Her name means Night Rain l) Until the next story is posted, enjoy your lives and savor your moments! **


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